THE  LIBRARY 

OF 

THE  UNIVERSITY 
OF  CALIFORNIA 

LOS  ANGELES 


ACR- 
14O  f 
LONG 


LILY   WHITE: 


A  ROMANCE. 


EDWARD   GOODWIN. 


PHILADELPHIA: 

J.   B.   LIPPINCOTT    &    CO. 

1858. 


Entered  according  to  Act  of  Congress,  in  the  year  1858,  by 

EDWARD  GOODWIN, 

in  the  Clerk's  Office  of  the  District  Court  of  the  United 
States  for  the  Northern  District  of  Alabama. 


PS 


DEDICATION. 


ling, 


LAWRENCE  COUNTY,  ALABAMA. 

MY  DEAR  MOTHER  :  —  As  a  feeble  mark  of  my  high  regard  and 
unchanging  love,  permit  me  to  inscribe  your  name  upon  the 
first  page  of  this  humble  story.  If  my  book  can  claim  no 
other  merit,  it  can  boast  at  least  one  name  that  would  honor 
and  adorn  the  most  brilliant  literary  achievement. 

In  hours  of  gloom  and  despondency  your  kind  and  cheering 
words  have  stimulated  me  to  renew  my  labors  ;  and  when  others 
judged  me  harshly,  your  approving  smiles  awoke  me  to  a  newer 
zeal.  It  is  not  on  the  first  leaf  of  a  Romance  that  your  charac- 
ter must  be  written  ;  but  allow  me  to  say  that  all  those  en- 
nobling virtues  that  add  a  lustre  to  the  name  of  woman  are 
yours,  and  a  long  and  useful  life  attests  the  fact. 

EDWARD  GOODWIN. 

March  1,  1858. 


LILY    WHITE. 


CHAPTER  I. 

Here,  while  I  roved,  a  heedless  boy, 
Here,  while  through  paths  of  peace  I  ran, 
My  feet  were  vexed  with  puny  snares, 
My  bosom  stung  with  insect  cares ; 
But  ah!  what  light  and  little  things 
Are  childhood's  woes! — they  break  no  rest: 
Like  dew-drops  on  the  skylark's  wings, 
While  slumbering  in  his  grassy  nest, 
Gone  in  a  moment,  when  he  springs 
To  meet  the  morn  with  open  breast ; 
As  o'er  the  eastern  hills  her  banners  glow, 
And  veiled  in  mist  the  valley  sleeps  below. 

MONTGOMERY. 

EUGENE  SAUNDERS  was  a  noble  lad.  Even  at  an 
early  age  lie  exhibited  a  strong  desire  to  mingle  in  every 
scene  where  trial  of  skill  or  exhibition  of  strength  was 
called  for;  he  loved  dearly  to  follow  in  the  chase,  and, 
by  the  time  he  reached  his  fifteenth  year,  not  a  youth 
of  his  neighborhood  could  excel  him  in  throwing  the 
stone,  in  leaping,  or  in  the  race.  He  was  an  expert 
and  daring  swimmer.  He  would  frequently  climb  to 
summits  whose  dizzy  heights  would  cause  even  a  specta- 
tor at  their  base  to  draw  back  in  fear.  It  was,  indeed, 
1 


6  LILY     WHITE. 

a  glorious  sight  to  behold  that  manly  boy  when  his  soul 
was  in  the  chase.  Over  hills,  over  rivers,  through  dells 
and  dingles,  he  would  rush,  like  the  swift-footed  deer 
which  he  pursued.  No  obstacle,  however  great,  could 
discourage  him;  no  danger,  however  imminent,  could 
thwart  him.  He  was  not  distinguished  for  great  size, 
being  rather  under  than  over  the  general  standard ;  but 
he  was  so  well  formed,  and  carried  himself  in  such  a 
noble  and  dignified  manner,  that  one  would  forget  the 
defect.  In  personal  appearance  he  was  decidedly  hand- 
some. His  eyes  were  dark  hazel,  and  beamed  with  light 
and  brilliancy.  When  engaged  in  quiet  conversation 
they  were  soft  and  mild  in  their  expression,  but  when 
he  grew  excited  they  sparkled  as  if  his  soul  were  on  fire. 
His  nose  was  of  the  Grecian  cast ;  his  mouth,  well  formed 
and  large;  his  brow,  high,  noble,  and  expanding;  and 
his  complexion  as  fair  and  rosy  as  that  of  a  maiden  of 
sweet  sixteen.  In  his  disposition  he  was  kind  and  gene- 
rous ;  but,  from  the  twinkle  of  his  eye  and  the  compres- 
sion of  his  lips,  you  could  see  that,  when  insulted  or 
enraged,  Eugene  Saunders  would  prove  a  terrible  foe. 
He  was  blessed  with  loving  and  religious  parents.  Mrs. 
Saunders,  his  mother,  was  one  of  those  dear,  kind-hearted 
creatures,  who  seem  to  be  sent  by  Providence  upon  our 
earth  as  a  guardian  angel.  His  father  was  an  intelli- 
gent man,  industrious  and  frugal,  and  by  these  means 
had  not  only  amassed  enough  wealth  to  provide  against 
the  wintry  time  of  life,  but  enough  to  justify  one  for 
saying  that  he  was  rich.  Albert  Saunders  was  not  a 
brilliant  man. 

Among  his  acquaintances  he  was  held  in  high  estima- 


LILYWHITE.  7 

tion  for  his  honesty,  industry,  justice,  and  truth.  From 
these  cardinal  points  nothing  could  swerve  him. 

Right  well,  indeed,  had  these  noble  and  praiseworthy 
characteristics  served  him.  He  saw  his  son,  the  hope 
of  his  declining  years,  growing  by  degrees  to  manhood, 
educated  and  refined;  and  witnessed  all  his  property 
rapidly  increasing  in  value. 

Albert  Saunders  was  a  happy  and  contented  man. 
He  had  long  been  a  resident  of  Madison  county,  Ala- 
bama, and  was  highly  regarded  for  those  admirable 
traits  which  seldom  fail  to  awaken  friendship  and  in- 
spire respect.  Although  he  resided  within  two  hours' 
ride  of  the  beautiful  little  city  of  Huntsville,  yet  he 
seldom  was  a  visitor  to  its  shady  streets,  and  never  un- 
less business  demanded  his  attention. 

He  was  never  better  satisfied  than  when  amid  the 
quietude  of  his  own  country  home,  surrounded  by  every- 
thing that  could  bring  a  blessing  or  add  a  charm  to  life. 
In  his  engagements  he  was  punctual;  and  in  all  his 
business  transactions  no  man  could  say  that  Albert 
Saunders  was  other  than  an  honest  man.  By  the  advice 
and  through  the  influence  of  such  parents,  Eugene  could 
not  fail  to  profit.  His  father  encouraged  him  in  his 
fondness  for  manly  sport ;  and  often,  in  the  spring-time, 
would  he  accompany  his  son  through  the  dense  forest  to 
the  sparkling  stream,  in  which  sported  the  fine  speckled 
trout.  On  such  occasions  Eugene's  young  and  ardent 
heart  bounded  with  joy  and  gladness.  He  loved  to 
wander  forth  and  breathe  the  pure,  invigorating  air  of 
morning;  to  look  upon  the  tall,  green  grass,  glittering 
with  dew-drops,  and  waving  to  the  gentle  zephyr;  to 
scent  the  rich  aroma  of  flowers;  to  listen  to  the  melody 


8  LILYWHITE. 

of  birds,  caroling  their  sweetest  songs ;  to  the  murmur 
of  bees,  and  to  the  hum  of  insects;  and  to  watch  the 
roseate  and  purple  clouds,  piling  themselves  in  beauteous 
and  fantastic  shapes  along  the  eastern  sky.  Of  all  the 
sports  of  the  field  none  was  dearer  to  him  than  that  of 
fishing.  With  a  tapering  and  slender  rod,  it  was  his 
delight  to  cast  the  fly 

"Just  in  the  dubious  point  where  with  the  pool 
Is  mixed  the  trembling  stream,  or  where  it  boils 
Around  the  stone,  or  from  the  hollow'd  bank 
Reverted,  plays  in  undulating  flow," 

and  with  eager  eyes  to  watch  the  bobbing  cork,  dancing 
through  the  tiny  waves  and  through  the  yeasty  foam. 
How  the  blood  would  rush  in  a  crimson  tide  to  his  brow 
as  he  beheld  the  red  and  yellow  cork  tremble  for  a 
moment,  and  then  slowly  disappear  beneath  the  boiling 
waves!  How  he  rejoiced  when  he  drew  from  its  native 
stream  a  fine  spotted  trout,  and  saw  the  crystal  drops 
falling  in  sparkling  showers  from  its  silvery  scales! 
These  were  happy  hours ! 

But,  alas !  inscrutable  are  the  ways  of  Providence ;  for 
in  less  than  three  years  from  the  period  of  all  this  happi- 
ness, the  angel  of  death  visited  that  quiet  family  circle 
and  laid  low  those  dear  old  people.  Typhoid  fever,  in 
its  most  malignant  form,  entered  that  home,  and  almost 
ere  Eugene  was  aware,  first  the  one  and  then  the  other 
of  his  beloved  and  honored  parents  were  deposited  in  the 
cold  and  silent  grave. 

Young,  ardent,  and  inexperienced,  Eugene  was  left 
alone  to  battle  against  enemies,  and  to  breast,  single- 
handed,  the  rude  shocks  of  fortune,  as  he  journeyed  on 


LILY     WHITE.  9 

through  this  selfish  world.  He  was  overwhelmed  at  his 
great  loss.  In  the  flush  of  the  morning  of  life  he  had 
never  thought  of  death,  only  as  a  monster  at  a  great 
distance ;  still  less  had  he  dreamed  that  it  would  fall 
thus  suddenly  and  unexpectedly  upon  those  whom  he 
loved  best.  Alas !  what  may  not  a  day  bring  forth ! 
Who  can  lift  the  curtain  of  the  far  distant  future,  and 
read  its  awful  mysteries  ?  Who  can  tell  but  that  the 
heavens,  which  now  are  smiling  above  us,  may,  in  a  few 
brief  hours,  be  filled  with  "dun,  electric  clouds,"  and 
darkened  by  the  gloomy  presence  of  the  overshadowing 
storm-cloud?  So  silently  and  imperceptibly  does  Time 
steal  his  dreadful  march  upon  us,  that  we  fail  to  note 
the  ravages,  until  the  demon  has  laid  his  icy  fingers 
upon  all  we  hold  most  dear.  His  parents  had  been 
growing  old,  but  Eugene  had  not  perceived  that  their 
forms  were  bending  forward,  as  if  to  peep  into  the  grave, 
and  that  their  hair  was  daily  whitening  for  a  glorious 
immortality.  Loud  and  long  did  he  mourn  their  loss. 
Often  and  oft  did  he  visit  those  graves,  and  fondly  linger 
about  that  sacred  spot, — sometimes  when  the  sunbeams 
were  glancing  through  the  leaves,  dappling  the  ground 
with  silvery  streaks,  and  when  the  merry  birds  were 
pouring  forth  their  sweetest  notes  in  every  wood  and 
grove, — and  sometimes  when  the  trembling  twilight  had 
vanished  into  the  deeper  shades  of  night,  and  a  myriad 
of  stars  were  shedding  a  tremulous  light  from  their 
burning  thrones  in  the  azure  sky. 

******** 

Years  passed  away.     Eugene  Saunders  entered  col- 
lege ;  graduated  with  the  first  distinction  of  his  class ; 
returned  home  and  became  sole  heir  of  his  father's  vast 
l* 


10  LILY     WHITE. 

estate.  Caught  by  the  fair  and  wonderful  stories  de- 
scriptive of  the  great  West,  he  sold  his  plantation  in 
Madison  county,  and  removed  to  the  Mississippi  Bottom. 
Time  had  already  written  sad  changes  upon  the  heart  of 
Eugene,  and  had  tinged  his  naturally  gay  and  ardent 
disposition  with  melancholy.  He  had  studied  human 
nature,  and  was  not  satisfied  with  the  result  of  those 
studies.  He  had  seen,  even  thus  early  in  life,  how  false 
is  man ;  how  deceitful  in  all  his  dealings  with  his  fellow- 
man;  how  sensuality  had  become  another  name  for 
virtue;  how  honor  was  covered  beneath  a  veil  of  lying 
and  deceit ;  how  meanness  stalked  abroad  unchecked,  if 
it  was  only  clad  in  gaudy  trimmings;  and  how  true, 
heartfelt,  old-fashioned  religion  had  been  transformed 
into  sycophancy  and  hypocrisy. 

He  looked  back  upon  the  past,  and  beheld,  outspread, 
a  beauteous  vision  of  peace,  happiness,  and  religion; 
and  he  compared  what  he  knew  of  that  vision  with  what 
he  now  saw  stalking  before  him.  In  his  youth  he  thought 
the  world  would  be  like  the  green  fields  and  flowery 
glens  through  which  he  daily  wandered,  chasing  the 
gorgeous  butterfly,  or  plucking  the  beautiful  flowers 
frcfm  the  mossy  bank  or  mountain-side.  His  parents  he 
had  taken  as  standards  by  which  to  judge  mankind, — 
hence  his  sad  disappointment  when  brought  in  contact 
with  the  busy  world. 

In  disposition  Eugene  was  as  sensitive  as  the  sensitive- 
plant.  He  loved  his  friends  with  devotion.  But,  not- 
withstanding the  naturally  lively  nature  of  Eugene,  he 
preferred  to  live  in  the  vast  forest  of  the  Mississippi 
Bottom  than  to  face  the  glare  and  glitter  of  city-life. 
Yet  he  was  not  a  hermit.  His  summers  were  spent  in 


LILY     WHITE.  11 

travelling,  and  visiting  the  most  celebrated  watering- 
places  ;  and  his  winters  were  usually  passed  in  some  of 
the  Southern  cities.  He  was  fond  of  the  bear-hunt,  and 
the  autumns  were  devoted  to  that  exciting  and  dangerous 
sport.  He  loved  music,  and  was  himself  no  mean  per- 
former; and  to  all  these  may  be  added  his  unconquer- 
able desire  for  knowledge.  Often,  after  having  followed 
the  hounds  for  a  whole  day,  would  he  consume  the  night, 
until  the  '"wee  sma' "  hours,  in  poring  over  the  pages  of 
his  favorite  authors. 

It  was  impossible  that  a  young  man  of  Eugene's 
temperament  could  pass  through  life  without  expe- 
riencing the  influence  which  fair  woman  never  fails 
to  produce  upon  the  hearts  of  the  ardent  and  enthu- 
siastic. In  his  various  wanderings  to  fashionable  re- 
sorts he  had,  time  and  again,  met  with  beautiful  crea- 
tures whom  he  thought  he  could  love.  But  while  he 
attempted  to  reason  himself  under  the  sway  of  that 
tender  passion,  he  generally  found  himself  high  and  dry 
upon  the  shore  of  single-blessedness.  He  had  many 
courtships  and  flirtations ;  but  somehow  he  escaped  the 
matrimonial  altar,  and  every  day  of  his  life  was  growing 
more  careless  concerning  that  important  step.  His 
education,  accomplishments,  affable  manners,  and  hand- 
some appearance  rendered  him  a  great  favorite  with  the 
softer  sex.  He  had  studied  the  nature  of  woman  with 
the  same  zeal  that  prompted  the  ancient  alchymist  to 
bend  over  his  crucible  at  the  silent  hour  of  midnight; 
and  he  understood  the  impulses  of  the  female  heart  so 
well,  that,  had  he  tried,  JZugene  Saunders  would  have 
been  a  dangerous  man  in  society. 


12  LILY     WHITE. 


CHAPTER  II. 

Lightly  he  dreamt  as  youth  will  dream, 
Of  sport  by  thicket,  or  by  stream, 
Of  hawk,  of  hound,  of  ring,  of  glove, 
Or  lighter  yet— of  lady's  love. 

SCOTT'S  MARMION. 

IN  the  winter  of  18 — ,  Eugene  Saunders  found  him- 
self in  the  city  of  New  Orleans.  On  a  windy,  blustering 
night,  early  in  the  month  of  December,  he  was  walking 
alone,  at  a  late  hour,  those  silent  and  dreary  streets. 
The  bustle  of  the  city  had  died  away ;  the  vast  throng 
of  busy  thousands,  who,  only  a  few  hours  previous,  were 
crowding  the  thoroughfares,  and  rushing  on — on — on, 
had  now  disappeared.  Some  of  that  mighty  multitude 
had  retired  to  splendid  mansions,  and  were  reposing 
softly  amid  luxuriance  and  magnificence ;  others  had 
crept  into  dismal  hovels,  and  were  shivering  over  dying 
embers, — surrounded  by  want,  disease,  and  death  ;  and 
others  still  had  sought  those  dark  retreats  where  no  ray 
of  hope  ever  gleams,  where  virtue  is  a  stranger,  and 
where  vice,  in  a  thousand  hideous  forms,  jeigns  su- 
preme ! 

Eugene,  that  evening,  had  gone  to  the  theatre,  and 
having  accompanied  a  friend  home,  after  the  perform- 
ance, had  spent  the  night  so  pleasantly  that  he  little 
heeded  the  rapid  flight  of  the  hours.  He  was  now  hur- 
rying to  the  St.  Charles.  The  wind  blew  in  fitful  gusts 
down  the  streets,  so  that,  at  times,  it  was  with  difficulty 
he  could  stem  the  raging  current.  Near  one  of  the 


LILT     WHITE.  13 

lamp-lights  he  paused  to  consult  his  watch,  and,  by 
chance,  having  cast  his  eyes  upon  the  ground,  espied 
something  lying  at  his  feet.  He  picked  it  up,  and  was 
surprised  to  find  a  lady's  slipper  in  his  possession.  Lit- 
tle did  he  then  think  what  a  potent  spell  that  small 
incident  would  exert  over  his  future  career  !  Without 
very  close  inspection,  he  placed  it  in  his  bosom,  and 
strode  forward  to  his  room.  But  all  the  way  thither  his 
thoughts  ran  upon  the  slipper.  How  came  it  there? 
This  question  he  frequently  asked  himself,  and  each 
time  found  himself  no  wiser  than  at  first. 

His  servant,  every  moment  expecting  his  arrival,  had 
kept  a  comfortable  fire  glowing  in  the  grate.  Eugene 
called  for  his  gown  and  easy-chair,  and  seating  him- 
self before  the  genial  fire,  proceeded,  more  through 
curiosity  than  otherwise,  to  examine  the  treasure  he  had 
found.  He  withdrew  it  from  his  bosom,  and,  turning  it 
over  and  over  again,  gazed  upon  it  as  if  it  had  been  a 
gem  from  the  ocean.  It  was  wrought  of  satin,  and 
was  beautifully  adorned  with  an  Iris,  embroidered  upon 
the  instep.  It  was  so  small,  so  delicate,  he  was  sure 
that  its  owner  was  a  beautiful  and  fairy-like  creature, 
with  bright,  golden  tresses,  possessing  a  form  sylph-like 
and  transcendent  in  perfection,  a  voice  soft  and  low, — 
like  that  far  off  melody  which  we  sometimes  hear  in 
pleasant  dreams ;  and  eyes  blue  and  sparkling,  into 
whose  mysterious  depths  one  might  lose  his  very  soul. 
He  was  certain  of  it. 

Then  again  he  thought  he  was  mistaken.  "For," 
said  he,  musingly,  "may-be  it  has,  this  very  night, 
encased  a  foot  which,  years  ago,  strayed  from  the  path 
of  rectitude,  and  for  long  weary  months  of  sorrow  and 


14  LILY     WHITE. 

sin  has  pressed  the  pathway  of  shame  and  degradation." 
He  passed  an  hour  in  such  speculations,  and,  being 
•wearied  with  the  excitement  of  the  day,  and  the  inci- 
dent and  conjectures  of  the  night,  undressed  himself 
and  sought  repose.  After  tossing  awhile  upon  his  couch, 
he  slept.  Many  were  the  dreams  Eugene  Saunders  had 
that  night. 

He  dreamed  of  his  boyhood's  hours,  and  thought 
that  he  was  again  chasing  the  spotted  fawn  over  the 
hills  and  through  the  valleys;  of  the  beautiful  flowers 
that  used  to  grow  upon  the  margin  of  the  babbling 
stream ;  of  his  classmates,  who  were  now  far  away,  bat- 
tling with  the  world ;  of  his  childhood's  home,  amid  the 
grand  old  forest  trees,  and  of  its  thousand  sacred  and 
hallowed  associations.  Then  came  the  image  of  his  dear 
departed  parents — his  mother,  with  her  same  quiet  man- 
ner and  serene  countenance,  and  his  father,  with  his 
goodness  and  benevolence.  Another  vision  glided 
through  his  dreams. 

He  saw  a  virgin,  clad  in  snowy  garments,  approaching 
him,  while  he  was  reclining,  at  twilight,  in  a  beauteous 
glen,  "fit  for  the  faerie's  feet."  In  her  hand  was  a 
wicker-basket,  which  seemed  to  contain  flowers.  She 
came  near,  and  beckoned  him  to  follow,  pointing  away 
over  the  hills,  and  scattering,  at  the  same  time,  the  con- 
tents of  the  basket  upon  the  ground.  He  attempted  to 
follow,  but  found  the  earth  so  bestrewn  with  briers  and 
thorns  that  he  could  proceed  only  with  great  difficulty  ; 
but  he  had  not  gone  far  when  he  saw  the  virgin  tossing 
upon  his  pathway  the  most  beautiful  flowers,  which  filled 
the  air  with  fragrance.  Eugene  awoke ;  but  the  vision 
haunted  his  waking  hours.  "Can  this,"  said  he,  "be 


LILY      WHITE.  15 

prophetic  of  my  future  life  ?  Will  my  pathway  lie 
through  difficulties  and  sorrows,  and  may  I  look  beyond 
the  gloom  to  days  of  joy  and  gladness,  and  to  a  haven 
of  repose?"  Aye!  many  fair  fabrics  have  arisen  in 
dreams,  both  by  day  and  by  night,  which  have  melted 
away  when  breathed  upon  by  the  rude  breath  of  ad- 
versity, or  when  touched  by  the  billows  of  time  ! 

This,  like  all  such  dreams,  which  haunt  the  .pillows  of 
the  young  and  ardent,  was  soon  forgotten  amid  other 
scenes.  But  not  so  was  that  little  slipper  !  The  more 
Eugene  thought  upon  it  the  more  deeply  was  he  im- 
pressed. He  had  created  for  it  a  fair  creature,  and  he 
fully  believed  she  was  everything  a  man  could  desire. 
What  now  had  become  of  his  stern  philosophy  ?  What 
strange  beings  we  are,  and  what  slight  circumstances 
will  sometimes  warp  our  natures,  and  lead  us  on  through 
the  tangled  brakes  of  life,  as  if  under  the  influence  of 
destiny  !  Eugene  Saunders  had  courted  and  flirted  with 
many  a  young  lady,  had  come  under  the  power  of  many 
softly  beaming  eyes,  and  yet  he  had  escaped.  But  he 
was  now  fairly  conquered,  and  that  too  by  a  little 
slipper,  and  the  thoughts  it  had  created.  Perhaps  the 
reason  was  that  the  image  which  that  slipper  awoke  was 
above  the  standard  which  exists  in  nature. 

We  shall  see. 


16  LILY     WHITE. 


CHAPTER  III. 

That  melancholy, 

Though  ending  in  distraction,  should  work 
So  far  upon  a  man  as  to  compel  him 
To  court  a  thing  that  hath  nor  sense  nor  being, 
Is  unto  me  a  miracle. 

MASSINGER'S  DUKE  OF  MILAN. 

Home  is  the  sphere  of  harmony  and  peace, 
The  spot  where  angels- find  a  resting-place, 
When,  bearing  blessings,  they  descend  on  earth. 

Mas.  HALE. 

EUGENE  grew  weary  of  the  city.  He  had  tried,  but 
alas  !  how  vain  the  effort !  to  smother  the  thoughts  that 
crowded  his  mind,  and  to  check  the  feelings  that  were 
waging  a  terrible  war  against  his  peace  and  happiness. 
He  had  paced  the  streets,  at  midnight,  With  anxious 
step  and  fevered  brow,  when  the  city  was  wrapt  in  si- 
lence ;  he  had  joined  the  busy  crowd,  when  day  had 
brought  its  glare  and  glitter ;  he  had  mingled  in  the 
vain  pomp  and  extravagance  of  fashionable  life,  where 
smiles  often  hide  an  aching  heart  and  flattery  lingers 
upon  the  honeyed  lips  of  hypocrisy ;  and  he  had  en- 
tered the  dance,  and,  amid  the  smiles  of  beauty,  the 
beaming  of  lovely  eyes,  and  the  dizzy  whirl,  tried  to 
quell  the  storm  that  was  raging  within  his  own  bosom. 
But  the  more  he  strove  the  deeper  became  the  passion. 
He  made  inquiries  concerning  the  owner  of  the  little 
treasure  which  he  had  found ;  he  even  went  so  far  as  to 


LILY     WHITE.  17 

advertise ;  yet  no  fair  being  came  forward  to  claim  the 
property.  He  at  length  concluded  to  return  to  his 
quiet  home,  over  whose  door-sill,  he  flattered  himself, 
not  even  a  female  image  would  dare  to  cross.  Conse- 
quently, toward  the  last  of  December  Eugene  Saunders 
found  himself  seated  beside  his  own  bachelor  fireside. 

Eugene's  plantation  was  situated  some  four  miles  from 
the  great  "father  of  waters,"  on  Flower  Lake,  which  is 
one  of  the  most  magnificent  hi  the  South-west.  His 
dwelling  was  a  neat,  white  cottage.  The  yard  undu- 
lated to  the  brink  of  the  lake,  just  leaving  sufficient 
room  for  a  gravel-walk  on  either  side  of  the  gate.  The 
negro  cabins  were  several  hundred  yards  back,  in  the 
forest. 

Eugene  had  fitted  up  his  parlor  with  great  elegance, 
and  from  its  tidy  appearance  one  might  have  supposed 
that  it  possessed  a  fair  mistress,  who  daily  superintended 
its  arrangements.  Into  this  room  Eugene  seldom  went, 
unless  to  exhibit  it  to  some  of  his  bachelor  friends.  In 
the  left  wing  of  the  cottage  was  his  study,  and  within 
this  quiet  retreat  he  passed  his  hours,  when  not  engaged 
in  the  sports  of  the  season  or  in  the  affairs  of  his  plan- 
tation. Here  was  his  library,  containing  many  choice 
volumes.  From  the  wall  was  suspended  his  game-bag, 
his  curiously  wrought  powder-flask  and  horn,  while  above 
them  rested,  in  its  rack,  Sharp's  rifle.  From  the  window 
could  be  had  a  full  view  of  the  lake,  stretching  away 
two  miles  in  width,  and  three  in  length.  Eugene  had 
but  two  attendants  about  his  house — Uncle  Ben,  and 
Aunt  Lucy.  These  old  and  faithful  servants  had  watched 
over  his  wayward  steps  in  infancy,  and  now  were  the 
sole  guardians  of  his  household  interests.  In  the  rear 


18  LILY     WHITE. 

of  the  building  was  the  garden,  which  old  Ben  kept  in  a 
high  state  of  cultivation. 

About  ten  feet  from  the  gateway  was  erected  a  good 
wharf,  to  which  was  moored  his  fishing  and  sailing  boats. 
Even  his  dogs  were  well  cared  for,  and  were  kept  in 
neat  kennels. 

Eugene  could  not  have  found  a  more  productive  plan- 
tation, nor  a  more  beautiful  home,  in  the  South.  The 
forest  was  filled  with  game,  from  the  skulking  hare  to 
the  ferocious  bear ;  and  the  lake  abounded  in  a  variety  of 
the  finest  fish.  It  was  just  the  home  for  such  a  nature 
as  that  of  Eugene  Saunders. 


CHAPTER  IV. 

Expect  not  more  from  servants  than  is  just ; 
Reward  them  well,  if  they  observe  their  trust, 
Nor  with  them  cruelty  or  pride  invade  ; 
Since  God  and  nature  them  our  brothers  made. 

DENHAM. 

IN  the  last  chapter  we  left  Eugene  seated  in  his  study. 
A  brisk  fire  was  roaring  up  the  chimney ;  and  Aunt 
Lucy  was  bustling  about  in  a  great  hurry,  preparing  his 
supper,  for  Eugene  had  come  upon  the  old  woman  rather 
unexpectedly,  and,  as  he  had  arrived  late  from  the  river, 
she  feared  he  was  hungry. 

"Well,  'ponmysoul,  Massa  Eugene,"  said  Lucy,  as 
she  rushed  hither  and  thither,  "  I'se  mighty  glad  to  see 
you.  I'se  bin  lookin'  for  you  ebbery  nite  for  I  don't 


LILY      WHITE.  19 

know  how  long,  and  here  you  done  come  and  cotch  me 
'dout  any  ting  for  you  to  eat." 

"Never  mind  that,  Aunt  Lucy,"  said  Eugene.  I  am 
'  so  pleased  to  see  you  looking  so  well  that  I  can  afford 
to  wait  on  you  awhile  for  my  supper.  Have  you  been 
quite  well  since  I  saw  you  ?" 

"  Mighty  well,  massa,  cept  a  slight  tech  of  the  rhu- 
matics  in  my  hip.  But  it  didn't  last  long.  Massa,  I 
'gin  to  think  you  done  run  clean  away,  and  forgot  all 
'bout  your  old  niggers." 

"  No,  Lucy,  I  have  often  thought  of  you,  and  no 
matter  how  long  I  might  stay  away  from  home  I  would 
never  forget  you." 

"  Now,  Massa  Eugene,  what  make  you  talk  dat  fool- 
ishness, makin'  dis  ole  nigger  cry  so  for  nothin'.  I 
know,  my  young  massa,  you  could  not  forget  ole  Lucy 
— 'case  I'se  always  been  a  faithful  servant;  and  although 
my  skin  is  black,  yet  my  heart  is  white,  and  I  loves 
young  massa  like  my  own  chile." 

"  I  know  you  do,  Aunt  Lucy ;  and  now,  as  you  have 
prepared  me  something  to  eat,  I  will  try  to  do  justice  to 
your  supper." 

After  supper  all  the  servants  came  from  the  "  Quar- 
ter" to  inquire  after  young  massa's  health,  and  to  re- 
ceive the  presents  which  Eugene  never  failed  to  bring 
them,  when  he  was  long  absent  from  home.  These  little 
kindnesses  had  won  for  him  the  love  of  all  his  slaves, 
and  each  vied  with  the  other  in  trying  to  please  their 
young  master.  On  his  plantation  was  happiness  and 
contentment.  All  .his  slaves  were  bountifully  fed, 
comfortably  clad,  and  well  treated.  Frequently,  after 
the  labor  of  the  day  was  finished,  would  they  assemble 


20  LILY     WHITE. 

by  torch-light,  old  and  young,  and,  with  no  cares  to 
press  upon  their  hearts,  dance  joyfully  to  the  merry 
music  of  the  rude  banjo. 

On  such  occasions  all  mingled  in  the  evening's  amuse- 
ment. Their  hearty  laughs  rang  out  so  clear  and  loud, 
that  even  the  distant  hills  echoed  back  their  glee.  Each 
one  exerted  himself  to  the  utmost  in  the  dance ;  and  as 
their  dusky  forms  moved  rapidly  to  and  fro  in  the  flick- 
ering light  the  scene  was  truly  picturesque.  Jest  suc- 
ceeded jest,  and  song  followed  song,  until  first  one  and 
then  another  sought  repose,  leaving  the  enthusiastic 
musician  still  striking  away  vigorously  on  the  familiar 
song,— 

"Fool  my  massa  seven  years, 
And  overseer  too. 

Tank-a-lank,  tink-a-link, 
Tank-a-doodle-doo." 

Here  was  to  be  seen  none  of  that  misery  and  wretch- 
edness, that  cruel  treatment  and  inhuman  conduct,  that 
modern  fanatics  represent  as  existing  on  almost  every 
Southern  plantation.  The  Southern  farmer  has  been 
insulted  and  outraged  by  the  foulest  and  blackest  slan- 
ders that  could  be  fabricated  by  the  meanest  malignity. 
These  slanders  have  been  hurled  from  the  sacred  desk 
in  language  that  shames  the  lowest  blackguardism ;  have 
been  clad  in  all  the  gorgeous  drapery  of  romance ;  and 
have  been  circulated  by  orators  and  statesmen.  We  do 
not  deny  that  some  mistreat  and  abuse  their  slaves ;  nor 
do  we  hesitate  to  assert  that  such  conduct  is  always 
scorned — even  loathed,  by  the  truly  noble-hearted  and 
chivalrous  Southern  planter. 


LILYWHITE.  21 

But  we  deem  it  the  basest  injustice  against  a  brave, 
generous,  and  magnanimous  people, — who  never  yet 
turned  a  deaf  ear  to  the  cry  of  distress  or  the  plead- 
ings of  misfortune,  who  are  ever  foremost,  when  the 
shrill  clarion  calls  to  arms,  and  who  are  ever  found  amid 
the  rattle  of  musketry  and  the  roar  of  cannon,  where 
the  tide  of  battle  rages  the  fiercest.  That  a  few  isolated 
cases  should  be  selected,  and  those  greatly  exaggerated, 
to  prove  that  the  Southern  planter  is  a  tyrant,  a  despot, 
a  social  pest,  a  moral  incubus,  and  a  devil  incarnate; 
and  that  too  by  individuals  whose  only  aim  is  self-ag- 
grandizement, and  whose  loftiest  aspiration  is  centered 
in  corrupt  sordedness ! 

After  the  servants  received  their  tokens  of  remem- 
brance they  returned  quietly  to  their  cabins.  But 
Eugene  was  not  alone,  for  Uncle  Ben  remained  behind, 
and  drew  his  stool  into  the  adjacent  corner  to  have  a 
social  conversation  with  his  young  master.  Eugene  un- 
derstood the  old  man's  nature,  and  humored  his  whims. 
But  Uncle  Ben  manifested  something  of  uneasiness  in 
Eugene's  presence,  and  did  not  seem  to  enter  into  the 
enjoyment,  which  all  exhibited  on  this  occasion.  But 
this  really  was  not  the  case.  Uncle  Ben  was  pleased  to 
see  Eugene  ;  but  having  been  familiar  with  him  from  in- 
fancy, he  immediately  noted  the  paleness  of  his  young 
master's  cheek  so  soon  as  he  beheld  him,  and  had  said 
to  his  wife,  Lucy — "  Someting  matter  wid  Massa  Eu- 
gene." 

Eugene  soon  discovered  his  servant's  backwardness, 
and  said  to  him, — "  Why,  Uncle  Ben,  you  do  not  seem 
glad  to  see  me.     What  is  the  matter  with  you  ?     Has 
anything  serious  happened  ?" 
2* 


22  LILYWHITB. 

"  Law,  massa,  how  you  say  dat  when  I'se  been 
dreamin'  'bout  you  eber  so  many  nights,  since  you  been 
away  ?  I  'gin  to  think  you  was  never  gwine  to  come 
back  agin.  It  grieves  dis  old  nigger's  heart  to  see 
young  massa  so  pale.  I  knows  someting  been  troublin' 
you.  You  can't  hide  it  from  me.  I'se  watched  over 
you  too  long  for  dat,  massa.  Have  you  been  sick  ?" 

This  question  was  asked  with  so  much  earnestness 
and  anxiety,  that  Eugene  saw  at  once  that  the  old 
negro's  shyness  had  arisen  from  his  care  of  himself,  and 
wishing  to  learn  all  that  had  happened  during  his  ab- 
sence, determined  to  settle  that  matter. 

"No,"  said  he,  "I  have  not  been  sick,  Uncle  Ben. 
I  have  been  exposing  myself,  too  much,  in  going  to 
theatres,  parties,  and  in  indulging  in  many  irregulari- 
ties. These  things  have  paled  my  cheeks.  But  under 
Aunt  Lucy's  kind  treatment  I  will  soon  be  as  strong 
and  vigorous  as  ever.  So  now  come,  tell  me  all  that 
has  transpired  in  my  absence." 

Uncle  Ben  began  to  brighten  up  so  soon  as  Eugene 
made  this  explanation ;  and  when  he  made  mention  of 
Lucy,  the  old  man  changed  his  solemn  visage  into  a 
broad  grin. 

"Well,  'fore  God,  massa,  dis  ole  fool  thought  you 
was  mighty  bad  off,  somehow  or  nudder.  Mighty  glad 
'taint  so.  I'se  got  heap  to  tell  you — more  than  I  can 
norate  to  nite." 

"  How  does  my  horse,  Hercules,  come  on,  Uncle 
Ben  ?  Have  you  attended  to  him  well  ?" 

;'  Phew !  Herc'les  is  fat  and  slick,  massa.  I  have 
rub  him  down  ebbery  day  since  you  been  gone,  and  he's 
got  so  devlish,  don't  'spect  massa  ken  ride  him." 


LILY     WHITE.  23 

"Why,  what  will  he  do?"  asked  Eugene. 

"  Kick  and  bite.  Now  what  you  tink  he  done  to 
me  tother  day  ?  I  was  stoopin'  down  curryin'  his  hind 
legs,  when  de  rascal  cotch  me  by  de  seat  ob  of  my 
breeches,  and  dis  nigger  thought  his  end  was  nigh  at 
hand." 

"  How  did  you  manage  to  escape  unhurt,  Ben  ?" 

"  He  shuck  me  some,  and  den  turned  me  loose.  He 
done  no  harm  'cept  to  make  Lucy  put  powerful  big 
patch  on  my  breeches." 

"  Has  any  person  called  to  see  me  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"Bless  your  soul,  massa,  yes  !" 

"Who?"  asked  Eugene. 

"A  gemman  and  lady — a  mighty  sweet  lady,  and 
good,  too." 

"  What !  a  lady  and  gentleman !  You  are  surely 
joking,  old  man." 

"  Fack,  Massa  Eugene ;  and  although  you  told  me  and 
Lucy  not  to  let  anybody  come  into  de  house,  yet  we 
could  not  help  it — the  young  lady  was  pleasant,  talked 
so  lovely,  and  asked  Lucy  so  many  question  'bout  ebbery 
ting,  dat  we  could'nt  refuse  de  house." 

"  Come,  Ben,  tell  me  all  about  the  young  lady — how 
she  came — who  came  with  her — and  what  brought  her 
here?" 

"  She  come  'long  wid  her  step-fadder,  who  wanted  to 

buy  Mr. 's  land.  Dey  got  loss  comin'  from  de 

landin'  through  de  marshes,  and  you  know,  massa,  you 
tole  me  and  my  ole  'oman  never  to  turn  anybody  dat 
was  loss  from  your  door.  I  knowd  dat  if  we  had  drov 
dat  nice  young  lady  out  into  de  swamp  'mong  de  bars 
you'd  a  cussed  dese  niggers." 


24  LILY     WHITE. 

"  That  I  would,  Uncle  Ben.  You  did  exactly  right. 
But  did  they  stay  all  night  ?" 

"  To  be  certainly  dey  did ;  and  de  young  lady  asked 
Lucy  lots  ob  questions  'bout  young  massa,  while  I  was 
convershun  wid  de  genl'man.  She  wanted  to  know  how 
old  you  was,  and  if  you  desired  a  wife.  You  know, 
massa,  how  young  gals  talk  when  dar  aint  no  man  'bout." 

"  I  hope,  Ben,  Aunt  Lucy  spoke  a  good  word  for  me 
to  the  young  lady,  and  treated  her  very  kindly  ?" 

"  Yes,  massa,  dat  she  did ;  and  let  her  sleep  in  your 
curtain  bed." 

"The  devil  she  did!" 

"Ain't  no  harm  in  dat,  is  dar?" 

"  No,  none  in  the  world,  Ben." 

"  Lucy  mighty  proud  dat  nite.  She  talk  heap  to 
young  miss  'bout  you." 

"  Well,  Ben,  I  am  glad  Aunt  Lucy  treated  the  young 
lady  politely ;  but  come,  tell  me  something  about  the 
gentleman,  if  you  can  draw  your  attention  from  the 
girl.  What  kind  of  a  man  was  he  ?" 

"I  don't  like  to  talk  'bout  dat  man,  massa." 

"  Why  not,  Ben  ?     Did  he  insult  you  ?" 

"  No,  massa,  he  b'have  hisself  berry  well ;  but  he  too 
proud  and  pompous  for  dis  nigger. 

"  Did  you  hear  them  say  where  they  were  from,  and 
where  bound?" 

"Yes,  massa,  I  heard  de  young  lady  she  was  from 
Orleans ;  and  listened  to  her  reading  in  de  paper,  which 
she  took  out  ob  her  pocket,  'bout  somebody  findin'  her 
shoe." 

"  What  is  that  you  say  ?" 

Eugene  started  as  if  a  bolt  from  the  heavens  had 


LILY     WHITE.  25 

descended  upon  him,  and  manifested  such  curiosity  and 
excitement,  on  hearing  this  news,  that  Uncle  Ben  was 
frightened  almost  out  of  his  senses.  But  wishing  to 
hear  more,  Eugene  addressed  the  old  man  calmly,  and 
inquired  further  into  the  matter;  for  he  remembered 
having  advertised  the  slipper  in  the  Delta,  as  the  means 
not  only  of  restoring  the  property,  but  also  of  seeing 
the  owner  of  his  treasure. 

"  I  hope  I  have  not  frightened  you,  Uncle  Ben ;  but 
the  truth  is,  I  have  become  so  nervous  of  late,  and  what 
you  have  been  telling  is  so  strange,  that  you  must  not 
be  surprised  at  my  actions." 

"Dis  nigger  gwine  to  hush  his  mouf,  if  talkin'  'bout 
dat  nice  gal  is  to  be  de  means  of  throwin'  young  massa 
into  connipshuns." 

"  Stop,  for  God's  sake,  and  tell  me  all  she  said  about 
the  slipper." 

"Why,  massa,  when  she  read  dat  in  de  paper,  she 
laffed  a  good  hearty  laff,  and  said  'twas  strange  ting 
for  anybody  to  be  printin'  'bout  a  little  shoe  she  lost 
gwine  from  de  show  one  nite." 

Eugene  was  now  satisfied  that  the  owner  of  that  slip- 
per, upon  which  he  had  devoted  so  many  of  his  thoughts, 
had  been  in  his  own  house.  He  soon  found  an  oppor- 
tunity for  dismissing  his  faithful  servant,  after  having 
learned  from  him  that  she  was  on  her  way  to  the  North. 
Long  did  Eugene  sit  and  muse  over  what  he  had  heard 
from  Uncle  Ben.  While  he  had  been  trying  to  forget 
the  image  that  was  haunting  his  dreams,  the  dear  crea- 
ture herself  had  been  flitting  through  his  own  home  ! 
While  he  was  pursuing  a  faint  and  glimmering  shadow, 
the  real  object  had  passed  within  his  own  portals,  and 
had  pressed  his  own  couch !  In  this  there  was  some- 


26  LILYWHITE. 

thing  strange  and  mysterious,  which  he  could  not  solve. 
He  was  not  a  believer  in  Destiny,  yet  he  felt  that  a 
secret  influence  was  urging  him  on,  and  that  his  future 
peace  depended  upon  these  incidents.  At  times  it 
seemed  that  he  was  in  pursuit  of  a  shadow  that  might, 
perchance,  lead  him  far  from  the  pathway  of  duty,  in- 
volve him  in  dangers,  and,  at  least,  prove  a  curse,  rather 
than  a  blessing.  Then  he  would  soothe  his  feelings  by 
asking  himself  if  all  the  prominent  actions  of  life  were 
not,  more  or  less,  visionary.  "  Is  not  this  fact  clearly 
exhibited,"  he  would  ask  himself,  "  on  every  page  of  the 
world's  history  ?  Did  not  Alexander  follow  a  mere 
shadow,  when  he  sought  to  conquer  the  world?  Did 
not  Bonaparte  pursue  a  mere  phantom  when  he  at- 
tempted to  revolutionize  Europe  ?  Do  not  all  those 
who  strive  after  wealth,  power,  and  fame,  waste  their 
lives  in  the  pursuit  of  shadows  as  fleeting  as  those  that 
sweep  the  landscape  on  a  summer's  day  ?  Am  I  not 
then  justifiable  in  seeking  after  that — call  it  what  you 
may — which  seems  so  indissolubly  connected  with  my 
future  peace  and  happiness  ?  Men  may  laugh  at  me, 
and  may  even  call  me  mad ;  but  I  care  not ;  my  mind 
is  made  up,  and  I  will  pursue  this  phantom,  which  has 
bound  my  thoughts  with  an  iron  band." 

These,  and  many  such  as  these,  were  the  thoughts  that 
filled  the  mind  of  Eugene  Saunders,  as  he  sat  alone  in 
his  cottage  home  by  the  flickering  fire  of  his  hearth- 
stone. At  the  conclusion  of  the  above  soliloquy  he 
arose  from  his  seat  and  paced  the  room  several  times  in 
a  hurried  manner.  Finally  he  approached  his  writing- 
table,  and  addressed  a  short  letter  to  an  old  friend  and 
college  chum,  who  resided  in  New  York.  What  that 
letter  contained  it  does  not  now  behoove  us  to  declare. 


LILY     WHITE.  27 


CHAPTER  V. 

Oh  how  these  leaden-footed,  limping  minutes 
Lag  and  creep  beneath  my  lashing  wish ; 
When  fiery  expectation  mounts  the  time — 
Time  is  a  spiritless  and  jaded  steed, 
That  staggers  'neath  his  rider. 

DAMON  AND  PYTHIAS. 

The  sails  were  filled,  and  fair  the  light  wind  blew, 
As  glad  to  waft  him  from  his  native  home^ 
And  fast  the  white  rocks  faded  from  his  view, 
And  soon  were  lost  in  circumambient  foam : 
And  then,  it  may  be,  of  his  wish  to  roam 
Repented  he ;  but  in  his  bosom  slept 
The  silent  thought,  nor  from  his  lips  did  come 
One  word  of  wail,  while  others  sate  and  wept, 
And  to  the  reckless  gales  unmanly  moaning  kept. 

BYRON'S  CHILDE  HAROLD. 

TIME  hangs  heavily  upon  the  minds  of  those  who  look 
forward  with  anxiety  to  the  accomplishment  of  a  desired 
end.  It  matters  not  how  trivial  the  object  may  be,  still 
the  feeling  is  the  same,  only  in  a  less  intense  degree. 
This  feeling  of  suspense  we  all  have  experienced  at 
some  period  of  our  lives.  It  prompts  the  soldier  to 
desire  the  hour  to  arrive  when  he  shall  listen  to  the 
cannon's  loud  roar,  and  mingle  in  the  fierce  strife  for 
victory  or  death.  It  causes  the  sailor  to  hail  with  satis- 
faction the  first  low  wail  of  the  dreadful  storm  that  has 
been  for  hours  lurking  on  the  horizon,  and  may,  per- 
haps, wreck  his  gallant  vessel. 


28  LILY    WHITE. 

"Uncertainty! 

Fell  demon  of  our  fears !     The  human  soul 
That  can  support  despair,  supports  not  thee." 

Thus  it  was  with  Eugene  Saunders.  Three  weeks 
elapsed  from  the  time  he  wrote  to  his  friend  in  New 
York,  and  for  several  days  he  had  been  anxiously  ex- 
pecting an  answer.  But  still  no  letter  came.  Uncle 
Ben  had  been  sent  every  day  to  the  post-office,  and 
every  day  Eugene  Saunders  had  been  disappointed. 
During  those  three  weeks  Eugene  was  as  restless  as  the 
waves  of  the  ocean.  He  could  not  rest  satisfied  in  one 
place — he  must  be  in  motion.  His  favorite  authors 
could  no  longer  delight  him,  and  he  threw  them  aside  in 
disgust.  He  sought  comfort  from  his  musical  instru- 
ments, but  they  failed  to  soothe  his  anxious  thoughts. 
He  sometimes  attempted  to  reason  with  himself  upon 
the  folly  of  thus  giving  way  to  a  passion  that  affected 
him  so  seriously,  and  might  injure  him  in  the  eyes  of 
the  world.  But  with  every  argument  stronger  grew  his 
determination  to  find,  if  possible,  the  owner  of  that  little 
slipper. 

He  strolled  forth  into  the  deepest  depths  of  the  forests. 
He  spread  the  sails  of  his  beautiful  "Faery  Queen," 
and,  without  once  applying  the  rudder,  let  it  drift 
whithersoever  the  zephyrs  chose  to  waft  it.  He  walked 
his  room  at  night,  for  hours,  singing  snatches  from  old 
songs  that  he  had  learned  in  youth,  and  frequently  kept 
his  room  for  a  day  at  a  time. 

These  altered  actions  did  not  fail  to  awaken  the  fears 
of  Uncle  Ben  and  Aunt  Lucy.  They  even  feared  that 
Eugene  was  mad — not  that  he  was  ill-natured  and  crabbed 
to  them,  but  because  his  conduct  was  so  strange,  and 
differed  so  much  from  what  it  was  previous  to  his  ab- 


L  I  L  Y     W  II I  T  E.  29 

sence.  Ponto — Eugene's  favorite  Russian  setter — was 
unnoticed.  It  is  true  he  still  occupied  his  usual  corner 
by  the  fireside,  but  no  fond  caresses  were  now  lavished 
upon  him.  It  is  true  he  still  followed  his  master  on  his 
wanderings  into  the  silent  woods,  with  many  a  kind  look 
and  loving  whine,  but  the  most  he  received  in  return  for 
those  expressions  of  an  abiding  friendship  was  a  gentle 
pat,  occasionally,  upon  his  head,  and  the  words  "Poor 
Ponto — poor  Ponto." 

Thus  the  hours  passed  away.  Eugene  had  sent  Uncle 
Ben  to  the  post-office  after  dinner,  and  had  determined 
to  while  away  the  time  until  his  return  by  sailing  upon 
the  lake.  The  evening  was  bright  and  balmy.  The  sun 
shone  beautifully,  and  the  surface  of  the  lake  was  broken 
into  a  myriad  of  tiny  waves  by  the  wind,  and  sparkled 
brightly  in  the  sunbeams.  As  usual,  he  submitted  his 
vessel  to  the  elements,  and,  in  a  short  time,  it  was  dan- 
cing gracefully  over  the  little  billows  toward  the  southern 
shore.  Eugene  little  heeded  the  rapidity  with  which 
his  vessel  skimmed  the  waves.  Aye,  thought  he,  life  is 
like  these  waves;  for  see  how  they  pursue  each  other, 
until  they  exhaust  their  power  upon  the  distant  shore ! 

"For  men  are  like  .the  waves  that  roll  along  the  mighty  deep, 
That  lift  their  heads  awhile  and  frown,  and  then  are  lulled  to  sleep; 
While  other  billows  swelling  come,  amid  the  foam  and  spray, 
And  as  we  view  the  furrowing  track  sink  down — and  where  are 

they? 

And  ever  thus  the  waves  shall  roll,  like  those  but  now  gone  past, 
The  offspring  of  the  depths  beneath,  the  children  of  the  last; 
And  ever  thus  shall  men  arise,  and  be  like  those  that  be, 
And  a  man  no  more  be  missed  on  land,  than  a  man  is  missed  on 

sea." 

Eugene  spent  several  hours  in  visiting  different  por- 


30  L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E. 

tions  of  the  lake,  and  finally  shifted  his  sails,  and  re- 
turned to  the  wharf  just  as  the  sun  was  sinking  to  his 
rest,  tinging  and  fringing  the  western  clouds  with  gor- 
geous colors. 

Uncle  Ben  had  returned  from  the  post-office,  and  de- 
posited in  Eugene's  hands  the  long-expected  answer. 
With  anxiety  manifested  upon  his  countenance  he  tore 
the  seal  and  devoured  its  contents.  He  read  it  over 
and  over  again,  and,  as  he  turned  into  his  cottage,  said, — 
"It  is  even  so;  again  has  the  shadow  flitted  before  me, 
and  lies  along  my  pathway.  I  will  pursue  it,  at  least 
as  far  as  New  York,  and,  if  I  do  not  find  the  substance, 
I  will  drown  disappointment  amid  the  pomp  and  splendor 
of  the  Old  World.  Why  should  I  not?  I  have  nobody 
but  these  two  old  servants  to  care  for  me,  and  my  wealth 
is  sufficient  for  such  a  course." 

Eugene  was  one  of  those  determined  men  who,  when 
once  resolved  to  perform  an  act,  nothing  could  turn  him' 
from  his  resolution.  So  soon  as  supper  was  over  he 
startled  Uncle  Ben  and  Aunt  Lucy  by  ordering  them  to 
prepare  his  clothes,  that  he  might  leave  early  the  next 
morning.  He  was  not  in  the  habit  of  informing  his 
domestics  where  he  was  going,  or  how  long  he  would  be 
absent,  yet  he  constantly  kept  his  overseer  advised,  by 
letters,  as  to  his  movements. 

Having  sent  for  his  overseer,  he  laid  before  him  his 
plans, — informed  him  how  he  wished  him  to  treat  his 
negroes  in  his  absence,  what  disposition  to  make  of  his 
different  crops,  and  many  other  things  of  importance. 
Next  morning  Eugene  departed  at  an  early  hour  for  the 
river,  and  was  not  disappointed  in  finding  a  vessel  bound 
for  Memphis.  He  engaged  his  passage,  and  was  soon 
gliding  up  the  great  Father  of  Waters. 


LILY     WHITE.  31 


CHAPTER  VI. 

Italia!  0  Italia!  thou  who  hast 
The  fatal  gift  of  beauty,  which  became 
A  funeral  dower  of  present  woes  and  past, 
On  thy  sweet  brow  is  sorrow  ploughed  by  shame, 
And  annals  graved  in  characters  of  flame. 
Oh  God !  that  thou  wert  in  thy  nakedness 
Less  lovely  or  more  powerful,  and  couldst  claim 
Thy  right,  and  awe  the  robbers  back  who  press 
To  shed  thy  blood,  and  drink  the  tears  of  thy  distress. 
CHILDE  HAROLD. 

SEVERAL  months  have  passed  away.  During  this 
time  Eugene  Saunders  saw  much  of  the  world.  He  had 
paused  amid  the  smoke  and  fog  of  the  great  English 
metropolis;  had  lingered  amid  the  gayeties  and  bril- 
liancies of  Paris ;  had  sailed  upon  the  hlue  waters  of  the 
Mediterranean,  and  had  stood  awe-stricken  amid  thft 
pomp  and  glory  of  mighty  Rome.  He  had  cooled  his 
temples  in  the  waters  of  the  "far-famed  fountain  of 
Egeria;"  and  had  strolled,  at  soft  even-tide,  through 
the  olive-groves  that  crown  the  hills  above  the  Temple 
of  Bacchus.  He  had  walked  the  streets  of  Rome  when 
the  city  was  locked  in  slumber,  communicating  with  the 
master  spirits  of  bygone  days.  The  very  name  of  Italy 
possessed  a  charm  for  him.  He  acknowledged  an  influ- 
ence, sacred  and  holy,  in  her  translucent  atmosphere, 
in  her  flowery  landscapes,  in  her  beautiful  vineyards, 
and  in  her  serene  blue  sky.  He  felt  a  binding  spell  in 
every  ruined  arch,  in  every  broken  column,  in  every 


32  LILY     WHITE. 

colossal  statue,  in  every  fallen  temple,  and  in  every 
sparkling  fountain.  He  did  not  look  upon  Italy  as  a 
land  filled  "with  a  lazy  and  indolent  set  of  maccaroni- 
eaters,  trampled  in  the  dust  by  the  iron  heel  of  Papal 
power ;  but  he  viewed  it  through  the  vista  of  ages,  and, 
in  imagination,  saw  it  towering  in  beauty  and  perfec- 
tion, and  in  glory  and  grandeur,  under  the  sway  of  the 
Caesars.  He  loved  it  because  it  had  been  the  abode  of 
orators,  statesmen,  philosophers,  warriors,  and  poets. 
Here  were  spots  immortalized  by  the  transcendent  genius 
of  Virgil  and  of  Horace ;  and  here  were  porticoes,  tem- 
ples, and  palaces,  through  which  had  echoed  the  elo- 
quence of  a  Cicero.  To  him  a  halo  of  undying  glory 
seemed  to  linger  over  those  scenes.  Through  those 
lovely  vineyards  once  strayed  the  Roman  maiden ;  be- 
neath those  shades  gathered  her  philosophers;  and 
through  those  groves  strolled  her  poets. 

Since  his  arrival  in  Italy  Eugene  Saunders  had  greatly 
improved  in  spirits;  and  though  he  wore  that  little 
slipper  about  his  person  as  a  talisman,  yet  his  philo- 
sophy, returning  with  his  better  health,  was  beginning 
to  cool  the  glow  of  sentiment  which  first  thrilled  his 
soul.  He  would  sometimes  wonder  how  it  was  that  such 
a  slight  incident  could  have  wrought  such  an  influence 
over  his  mind.  Eugene  was  now  in  Florence,  that 
beautiful  and  gay  city,  which  Bayard  Taylor  terms  the 
gem  of  Italy.  He  was  so  much  delighted  with  the 
splendid  statuary  and  paintings  which  adorned  the  Tri- 
bune, and  the  number  of  his  countrymen  whom  he  met 
there,  that  he  resolved  to  spend  some  time  in  Florence. 
Moreover,  he  had  formed  the  acquaintance  of  a  young 
American  artist,  and,  finding  in  him  a  congenial  spirit, 


LILY     WHITE.  33 

determined  to  spend  some  time  with  his  friend.  This 
young  man's  name  was  Frank  Morton.  He  was  two 
years  younger  than  Eugene.  Possessing  an  amiable 
and  gentle  disposition,  and  being  a  man  of  high  culture, 
he  had  not  only  won  the  esteem  and  respect  of  Eugene 
Saunders,  but  also  of  those  whom  he  came  near.  He 
was  an  enthusiast  in  his  profession,  but  manifested  none 
of  those  eccentricities,  and  that  spirit  of  melancholy 
which  belongs  more  or  less  to  enthusiasm. 

Frank  Morton  and  Eugene  Saunders  were  seldom  apart. 
Often,  at  night,  when  the  moon  rode  high,  in  her  blushing 
beauty,  fringing  the  white  clouds  with  a  silvery  lining, 
softening  the  landscape  into  loveliness,  and  touching  the 
domes,  minarets,  and  palaces  with  her  smiles,  until  they 
were  all  a-glow  with  a  mild  splendor,  would  they  walk 
forth,  arm-in-arm,  to  enjoy  the  balmy  zephyr,  to  admire 
the  dreamy  landscape,  or  to  talk  of  their  native  land, 
lying  afar  o'er  the  deep  blue  sea,  with  its  gigantic  rivers 
flowing  through  beauteous  vales ;  with  its  fountains, 
sparkling  and  bright,  murmuring  softly  through  orange- 
groves;  with  its  birds  of  every  hue  and  color,  pouring 
forth  their  richest  melody  in  the  grand  old  forests ;  with 
its  hills  and  mountains  towering  grandly  up,  amid  scenes 
of  peace,  prosperity,  and  love;  and  with  its  majestic 
institutions,  which  have  cast  their  shadows  over  the 
whole  world,  and  have  named  it,  truly,  "The  land  of 
the  free  and  the  home  of  the  brave." 

It  was  just  such  a  night  as  we  have  attempted  feebly 
to  describe,  that  Eugene  and  Frank  strolled  slowly  toward 
the  beautiful  Arno,  that  flows  like  a  silvery  thread 
through  orange-groves.  At  one  time  they  would  pause 
to  admire  some  noble  structure,  suffused  with  a  radiant 
3* 


34  L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E. 

flood  of  moon-beams;  at  another,  to  listen  to  the  echo 
of  their  own  foot-falls,  dying  gently  amid  graceful 
columns  and  splendid  porticoes ;  and  at  another,  to  catch 
more  distinctly  the  "melting  murmurs"  as  they  floated 
away  from  the  fairy-like  fingers  of  some  dark-eyed 
Italian  maiden, — filling  the  air  with  music  divinely 
sweet !  The  night,  the  music,  the  starry  firmament,  the 
moon,  the  city, — and  all,  too,  beneath  those  soft  Italian 
skies, — made  it  seem  like  an  enchanted  land. 

This  beautiful  balmy  evening  had  induced  many  a  fair 
Italian  lady  to  walk  forth  to  enjoy  the  moonlight  scene. 
Hence  Eugene  and  Frank  frequently  passed  many  a 
handsome  maiden,  in  her  walk  toward  the  Arno.  Ever 
and  anon  they  would  pause  before  some  lovely  statue,  to 
admire  its  beauty  and  perfection.  Thus  they  moved 
slowly  along,  conversing  gayly  upon  whatever  entered 
their  minds.  They  had  not  proceeded  far  when  they 
met  a  man  clad  in  the  robe  of  the  holy  church.  He  was 
a  tall,  pale-faced,  handsome  Italian.  Frank  Morton, 
giving  the  way,  saluted  him  thus : — 

"Beautiful  evening,  Father  Bernardo  !" 

"Most  lovely,"  he  replied;  "and  almost  sufficient  to 
influence  even  a  member  of  the  holy  order  to  forsake 
his  vows  and  join  the  company  of  the  gay  crowd  who 
nightly  promenade  this  lovely  city." 

During  these  remarks  Eugene  had  moved  several  steps 
on  the  way.  Frank  soon  came  up,  and  the  conversa- 
tion naturally  turned  upon  the  priest.  Eugene  said  to 
Frank,— 

"You  seem  to  know  this  priest  well." 

"I  have  met  him  frequently.  He  is  a  man  of  pro- 
found learning,  speaks  several  languages  fluently,  and 


LILY     WHITE.  35 

is,  in  fact,  a  second  Mezzofanti.  But,  withal,  he  is  a 
man  of  dark  intrigues  and  violent  temper.  He  is  despe- 
rately in  love  with  the  Countess  Simonetta  Pitti,  who  is 
said  to  look  upon  his  addresses,  though  paid  in  secret, 
with  disgust.  She  is  as  beautiful  as  the  dream  of  poets, 
and  descended  from  that  wealthy  citizen  who  erected 
yonder  splendid  Palazzo  Pitti,  which  you  see  before  us, 
gilded  by  the  moon-beams.  She  is  the  most  fascinating 
creature  living,  sings  like  a  seraph,  and  is  possessed  of 
great  wealth.  She  is  the  belle  of  Florence,  and  many 
are  the  suitors  that  crowd  around  her,  some  worshiping 
at  the  shrine  of  beauty,  others  at  the  shrine  of  mammon. 
Would  you  like  to  make  her  acquaintance  ?  if  so,  you 
can  have  that  pleasure  to-morrow  evening,  inasmuch  as 
there  will  be  a  grand  banquet  at  the  Palazzo  Vecchio. 
I  am  proud  to  say  that  the  beautiful  Countess  owns  me 
as  a  friend,  and  it  will  afford  me  a  gratification  to  intro- 
duce you ;  but,  Eugene,  you  must  guard  your  heart,  or 
you  will  have  no  further  use  for  that  maiden's  slipper, 
which  you  told  me  about  last  night." 

"By  Jove!"  answered  Eugene,  "I'll  take  you  up; 
and  I  will  do  my  prettiest  to  make  that  fellow  Bernardo, 
whom  we  just  now  passed,  forget  to  count  his  beads  and 
to  perform  his  accustomed  ablutions  in  holy  water." 

Thus  the  two  friends  walked  on,  passing  the  time  in 
pleasant  conversation,  until  they  arrived  at  a  point 
where  the  lovely  Arno  glided  into  view,  like  a  glittering 
mass  of  burnished  silver.  Oh,  it  was  a  beautiful  sight ! 
In  the  distance  the  Apennines  lifted  their  purple  sum- 
mits toward  the  sky;  and  nearer,  in  the  perspective, 
was  an  amphitheatre  of  gently  rising  hills  ;  while  before 
them  flowed  the  Arno,  bathed  in  a  flood  of  silvery  rays. 


36  L  I  L  Y     W  II I  T  E. 

For  a  moment  these  two  young  men  stood  as  if  chained 

to  the  spot. 

******* 

Several  hours  passed  away,  and  Eugene  and  Frank 
were  reminded  of  the  lateness  of  the  hour  from  the  deep- 
toned  bell  of  a  neighboring  convent,  tolling  out  the 
solemn  hour  of  twelve.  They  hastened  back  to  their 
rooms,  and  were  soon  locked  in  slumbers  sweet. 


LILY     WHITE.  37 


CHAPTER  VII. 

Here,  the  way  leads  o'er  tessclated  floors 
Or  mats  of  Cairo,  through  long  corridors, 
Where,  ranged  in  cassolets  and  silver  urns 
Sweet  wood  of  aloe  or  of  sandal  burns  ; 
And  here,  at  once,  the  glittering  saloon 
Bursts  on  his  sight,  boundless  and  bright  as  noon, 
Where,  in  the  midst,  reflecting  back  the  rays 
In  broken  rainbows,  a  fresh  fountain  plays 
High  as  the  enamelled  cupola,  which  towers 
All  rich  with  arabesques  of  gold  and  flowers ; 
And  the  mosaic  floor  beneath  shines  through 
The  sprinkling  of  that  fountain's  silvery  dew, 
Like  the  wet,  glistening  shells,  of  every  dye, 
That  on  the  margin  of  the  Red  Sea  lie. 

MOORE. 

ACCORDING  to  appointment,  the  following  night,  Eu- 
gene Saunders  entered  the  magnificent  Palazzo  Vecchio. 
On  being  ushered  into  the  palace  he  was  almost  blinded 
by  the  brilliancy  of  glittering  lamps,  the  blaze  of  daz- 
zling diamonds,  and  the  splendor  of  jewels,  flashing 
from  the  arms  and  bosoms  of  many  maidens.  Huge 
chandeliers,  suspended  by  golden  chains,  poured  forth 
floods  of  light,  illuminating  every  nook  and  corner 
of  this  gorgeous  building ;  and  investing  the  whole 
scene  with  a  magnificence  unparalleled  in  the  glorious 
days  of  the  Augustan  age. 

Here  was  a  fair  maiden,  surrounded  by  a  number  of 
enraptured  youths,  charming  them  by  song,  accompa- 
nied with  a  rich-toned  guitar.  Thus  was  the  company 


38  L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E. 

broken  into  little  groups,  some  loitering  in  the  full  blaze 
of  the  lamps ;  others,  pausing  before  some  splendid 
statue,  to  admire  its  perfections ;  and  others  promenad- 
ing through  the  long  corridors,  enjoying  the  balminess 
of  the  evening  air,  and  listening  to  the  musical  splash- 
ing of  fountains,  that  cast  their  sparkling  waters  into 
the  beautiful  moonlight. 

Frank  Morton  was  already  there,  and,  beholding  Eu- 
gene, hastened  to  greet  him. 

"Well,  Eugene,"  said  he,  "it  is  all  right.  I  have 
seen  the  Countess,  and  she  is  anxious  to  form  your  ac- 
quaintance. She  has  had  a  glimpse  of  you  while  on 
some  of  your  strolls  beside  the  Arno,  and  is  quite  anxious 
to  ascertain  if  so  nice  looking  a  young  man  will  bear 
closer  inspection.  Therefore  you  may  prepare  all  your 
eloquence  for  this  occasion." 

With  this  Frank  hurried  him  through  the  crowd  to  a 
distant  portion  of  the  palace.  Eugene  had  no  time  to 
answer.  It  was  with  no  little  excitement  that  he  ap- 
proached this  beautiful  Italian. 

She  was  gracefully  reclining  against  a  marble  column, 
where  the  light  fell  with  a  softened  splendor,  and  was 
engaged  in  conversation  with  an  acquaintance.  Eugene 
thought  he  had  never  before  beheld  so  much  beauty,  so 
much  grace,  and  so  much  womanly  perfection.  Her 
black  glossy  hair  was  interwreathed  with  sparkling  bril- 
liants, and  gems  of  great  costliness ;  her  brow  was  full 
and  broad ;  her  cheeks  were  tinged  with  the  "  pale 
pearly  pink  of  sea-shells,"  and  her  dark  lustrous  eyes 
made  Simonetta  Pitti  a  charming  creature. 

After  the  usual  courtesies  of  introduction,  Simonetta 
addressed  Eugene  in  her  rich,  musical  language. 


LILT     WHITE.  39 

"  S  ignore,  you  have  not  long  been  a  resident  of 
Florence?" 

"Only  a  few  weeks,"  replied  Eugene;  "but  even  in 
this  short  time  I  have  become  so  much  attached  to  your 
soft  Italian  skies,  your  sparkling  fountains,  your  vine- 
clad  hills,  and  your  beautiful  landscapes,  that  I  have  not 
raised  the  courage  to  break  the  spell  that  binds  ine." 

"  I  am  happy  to  hear  that  you  are  so  much  pleased 
with  Florence.  Our  city  offers  much  to  the  stranger. 
Here  lie  the  trophies  of  departed  greatness  and 
grandeur.  In  our  halls  hang  the  paintings  of  master 
spirits ;  in  our  groves  are  statues  which  have  become 
the  admiration  of  the  world ;  and  our  palaces,  in  the 
beauty  and  magnificence  of  architecture,  are  unsur- 


They  spoke  of  Petrarca,  Dante,  and  Brocciolini ;  of 
the  Venus  di  Medici,  and  the  works  of  Titian.  Eu- 
gene was  never  more  eloquent  in  his  life.  How  could 
he  be  otherwise  with  those  dark  expressive  eyes  bent 
in  kindness  upon  him,  and  with  that  rounded  form 
inclined  toward  him  that  she  might  catch  every  accent 
that  fell  from  his  lip. 

From  her  palace  she  had  several  times  seen  Eugene 
walking  on  the  river's  bank,  and  his  graceful  mien  had 
already  interested  her.  A  nearer  acquaintance  did  not 
diminish,  but,  on  the  contrary,  had  rather  increased  that 
interest. 

Eugene  offered  Simonetta  his  arm  for  a  promenade, 
and  led  her  through  the  crowd  into  the  gardens.  The 
moon  was  shining  brightly  upon  the  scene,  and  many  a 
couple  were  already  taking  advantage  of  the  pleasant 
breeze,  the  beautiful  moonlight,  and  the  lovely  citron- 


40  LILY     WHITE. 

groves,  to  whisper  forth  their  souls'  deepest  adoration 
and  love.  By  taking  a  graveled  walk  that  led  to  a 
fountain  at  the  extremity  of  the  garden,  Eugene  avoided 
the  gay  company  of  promenaders.  He  knew  too 
much  of  the  nature  of  woman  to  fail  to  make  himself 
agreeable.  According  to  the  customs  of  his  own  country, 
he  complimented  her,  with  great  delicacy,  upon  her 
beauty,  her  intelligence,  and  her  grace ;  and  had  re- 
ceived, in  return,  first  an  almost  imperceptible  pressure 
upon  the  arm,  and  then  a  gentle  sigh,  that  tells  too 
often  what  the  heart  would  keep  forever  hid  in  its 
darkest  depths. 

Like  all  young  unmarried  people  of  opposite  sex, 
they  soon  introduced  the  subject — love.  Eugene  de- 
scribed for  her  that  golden  chain  which  holds  in  thral- 
dom so  many  victims,  as  being 

"Formed  of  three  chords,  in  mystic  union  twined; 
The  first  by  beauty's  rosy  fingers  wove, 
The  next  by  pity,  and  the  third  by  love." 

At  length,  being  wearied,  they  sought  a  summer- 
house,  and,  seating  themselves  upon  a  rough  bench,  con- 
tinued a  conversation  which  to  both  parties  was  very 
agreeable. 

Simonetta's  long  absence  had  created  no  little  sensa- 
tion within  the  palace.  The  whisper  had,  time  and 
again,  echoed  .through  the  crowd — "Where  is  the 
Countess  of  Pitti?"  Many  a  lover  was  burning  with 
anxiety  to  claim  her  fair  hand  in  the  dance,  or  to  breathe 
his  wooings  into  her  ear. 

The  maidens  thought  it  strange  that  one  so  proud, 
so  gay,  and  so  haughty,  should  tamely  yield  herself  to 


LILY      WHITE.  41 

the  sway  of  a  foreigner,  while  some  of  the  matrons 
shook  their  wise  heads,  as  if  to  insinuate  that  it  was  not 
altogether  proper  and  chaste  for  a  young  girl  to  remain 
in  the  night  air  with  a  young  man,  under  the  influence 
of  the  full  moon.  Still  the  mirth  arose,  the  music 
floated  through  the  long  passages  and  corridors,  and  on 
went  the  merry  dance. 

Let  us  now  return  to  Eugene  and  his  fafr  partner. 
They  had  not  long  been  seated  thus  when  they  heard  a 
step  approaching,  and,  turning,  beheld  a  form  clad  in 
the  cowl  and  robe  of  the  church,  drawing  near  them. 
The  form,  so  disguised  that  his  features  could  not  be 
discerned,  paused  opposite  the  fair  girl,  and,  in  a  voice 
hoarse  with  emotion,  thus  addressed  her : — 

"  A  pleasant  night,  my  daughter  !  You  seem  to  enjoy 
the  soft  moonlight  and  the  balmy  air.  Doubtless  you 
have  found  a  confessor  to  whom  you  can  unburden  your 
soul  more  freely  than  to  a  father  of  the  Holy  Church  of 
Rome.  Remember,  that  Rome  has  many  eyes  and 
many  ears — lest  you  have  cause  to  repent  when  it  is  too 
late" 

As  quick  as  lightning.  Eugene  leaped  to  his  feet,  and, 
confronting  the  priest,  with  a  livid  cheek  and  flashing 
eye,  said : — 

"  What  do  you  mean,  sir,  by  thus  unceremoniously 
intruding  yourself  upon  us,  and  casting  your  foul  and 
ungentlemanly  insinuations  against  me?  Know  you, 
sir,  that  I  am  from  a  land  where  every  man  is  a  king, 
and  I  demand,  yea,  I  will  have  an  explanation,  else  the 
whole  of  Rome  cannot  save  you  from  what  you  deserve." 

"Ha!    ha!    ha!"    laughed  the  priest,  seemingly  un- 


42  LILY     WHITE. 

moved ;  but  his  cowering  form  exhibited  evident  signs 
of  fear. 

"  Answer  me,  you  croaking  craven,  or,  by  heaven, 
I'll  tear  that  mask  from  your  face  and  write  my  ven- 
geance on  your  brow.  How  dare  you  insult  a  man,  and 
pour  your  vile  cantings  into  the  ear  of  a  maiden  in  that 
man's  presence?  Answer — answer,  I  say." 

"  Young  man,  beware.  Your  temper  is  rash  and  may 
lead  you  into  error " 

"  Hush  !  thou  prating  fool, — give  me  no  lecture  from 
your  Romish  faith.  Go  talk  to  those  whom  you,  and 
such  as  you,  have  ground  into  poverty,  woe,  and  igno- 
rance ;  go  cant  to  those  whose  pathway  to  hell  you  have 
strewn  with  flowers." 

Bernardo,  the  priest,  had  taken  a  step  back,  and  had 
secretly  drawn  a  dagger,  which,  glancing  in  the  moonlight, 
Eugene  detected,  and  as  quick  as  thought  drew  from 
his  bosom  a  repeater,  and  placed  its  muzzle  against  the 
breast  of  the  enraged  Italian. 

"Move,"  said  Eugene,  "but  your  little  finger,  and 
the  Church  of  Rome  will  have  one  scoundrel  less,  and  hell 
another  victim.  You  have,  cowardlike,  taken  advantage 
of  your  garb  to  insult  not  only  me,  but  this  maiden ; 
and  stir  but  an  inch,  and  you  try  the  truth  of  those  doc- 
trines which  wrong  your  fellow  man  and  insult  high 
Heaven." 

Bernardo,  though  a  fierce  man  and  violent,  yet  he 
was  unused  to  such  boldness,  both  of  language  and  man- 
ner, and  he  read  in  the  eye  and  cheek  of  his  adversary 
a  firm  determination  to  execute  every  threat  which  he 
had  made.  Moreover,  he  felt  that  Eugene  was  his 


L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E.  43 

match,  and  that  cold  muzzle  resting  against  his  bosom 
was  anything  but  pleasant.  What  would  have  been 
the  result  of  this  situation  between  the  belligerent  par- 
ties cannot  now  be  known. 

With  a  faint  scream  Simonetta  swooned  and  fell  to 
the  earth  from  fear.  In  an  instant  these  two  men,  who 
had  stood  face  to  face  as  deadly  enemies,  rushed  to  her 
relief.  Eugene  chafed  her  temples,  while  Bernardo, 
being  familiar  with  the  grounds,  flew  like  an  arrow  to 
the  fountain  for  water.  In  a  short  time  Simonetta 
slowly  recovered.  When  Bernardo  saw  signs  of  return- 
ing consciousness,  he  took  advantage  of  Eugene's  joy, 
and  departing,  was  soon  lost  from  view  in  the  orange 
grove.  The  Countess  soon  recovered  sufficient  strength, 
and  Eugene  led  her  back  to  the  brilliant  throng.  As 
they  were  slowly  retracing  their  steps,  Simonetta  said  to 
him, — 

"  Oh  !  how  could  you  talk  so  harshly  to  Father  Ber- 
nardo ?  If  you  knew  his  fierce  temper  and  his  power, 
you  would  not  have  ventured  so  far.  I  tremble  for  your 
safety." 

"  Have  no  fears  for  me,  my  fair  maiden ;  but  take 
warning  from  a  stranger — guard  yourself.  Deeper 
motives  direct  the  actions  of  this  priest  than  religious 
principles,  and,  pardon  me,  when  I  tell  you  the  holy 
father  loves  the  fair  Countess  of  Pitti." 

"  Oh!  signore,"  said  the  Countess,  "you  can  never 
imagine  what " 

She  trembled  like  an  aspen  and  ceased,  as  if  what  she 
was  about  to  utter  was  sacrilegious.  By  this  time  they 
had  reached  the  court,  and  Eugene  led  the  Countess 
to  a  seat.  As  he  was  taking  his  leave  she  asked  him,  in 


44  LILY     WHITE. 

a  low  whisper,  if  he  would  not  call  to  see  her  at  her 
palace.  He  did  not  hesitate  to  promise,  and  in  a  few 
moments  was  lost  in  the  gay  crowd.  He  soon  found 
his  friend  Frank,  and  narrated  to  him  all  that  had  hap- 
pened in  the  garden.  Many  were  the  glances  that  were 
cast  toward  the  Countess  of  Pitti  on  her  return,  and 
her  troubled  looks  and  the  palor  of  her  cheeks  did  not 
fail  to  excite  the  curiosity  of  those  who  either  loved  or 
envied  her. 

The  night  was  growing  late,  and  one  by  one  the  crowd 
departed  to  their  homes,  to  dream  over  the  intrigues  and 
disappointments  of  the  evening.  Simonetta,  having 
summoned  her  attendants,  was  among  the  first  to  take 
her  leave. 

The  lamps  which  a  few  hours  ago  lit  the  palace  with 
an  indescribable  radiance,  now  burned  dim — flickered 
wildly — and  expired,  leaving  the  Palazzo  Vecchio  to  the 
darkness  and  silence  of  the  solemn  night. 


LILYWHITE.  45 


CHAPTER  VIII. 

Thus  lived — thus  died  she ;  never  more  on  her 
Shall  sorrow  light,  or  shame.     She  was  not  made 
Through  years  or  moons  the  inner  weight  to  bear 
Which  colder  hearts  endure  till  they  are  laid 
By  age  in  earth.  BYRON. 

Heaven  opens  on  my  eyes !  my  ears 

With  sounds  seraphic  ring : 

Lend,  lend  your  wings !  I  mount !  I  fly ! 

0  grave !  where  is  thy  victory  ? 

0  death !  where  is  thy  sting  ?  POPE. 

IT  now  behooves  us,  kind  reader,  to  introduce  to  your 
acquaintance  other  characters,  who  are  destined  to  act 
no  unimportant  parts  in  the  following  pages.  Col.  James 
Lanier  was  a  man  of  five-and-fifty  years,  but  his  course 
in  life  gave  him  the  appearance  of  greater  age.  He 
inherited  great  wealth,  and  in  his  early  manhood  rushed 
from  one  vice  to  another,  until  he  had  at  length  plunged 
into  the  darkest  depths  of  dissipation. 

His  father  died  when  he  was  quite  a  youth,  and,  like 
most  young  men  of  wealth,  he  soon  gained  the  ascend- 
ency over  a  kind-hearted  and  indulgent  mother,  and 
without  one  check  upon  his  rash  and  impetuous  nature, 
he  was  not  long  in  forming  habits  which,  by  degrees, 
lead  one  into  vices  from  which  there  is  no  escape. 

Among  his  vicious  habits  may  be  mentioned,  as  most 

prominent,  his   indomitable  desire   for  the   card-table. 

With  a  wounded  and  bleeding  heart  his  fond  mother 

saw  her  darling  son,  the  hope  of  her  declining  years, 

4* 


46  LILT     WHITE. 

sinking  down — down — down  beneath  the  potent  and 
malignant  influence  of  this  vice.  But  death  came,  and 
removed  her  hence,  ere  she  knew  to  what  a  fearful  ex- 
tent her  son  had  gone.  Oh !  who  can  enumerate  the 
awful,  fatal  consequences  of  this  passion  ?  How  many 
a  frail,  gentle  creature,  has  listened,  in  the  agony  of 
dark  despair,  to  the  bitter  cryings  of  her  helpless  little 
children,  deprived  of  their  sustenance  by  this  accursed 
love  of  the  gaming  table !  How  many  a  noble  youth, 
whose  morning  of  life  bid  fair  to  bring  a  glorious  noon, 
with  its  beauty  and  brilliancy,  has  changed  that  noon 
into  a  gloomy  midnight  of  woe  and  sorrow  and  death, 
and  has  transformed  the  evening  of  his  existence  into  a 
black,  unmitigated  hell !  When  once  within  the  magic 
influence  of  the  card-table,  there  is  no  remedy,  no  relief, 
for  it  entwines  about  its  victim  a  chain  of  adamant 
which  nothing  but  death  can  unbind,  and  throws  over 
him  a  spell  which  leads  to  an  eternal  doom.  Like  the 
serpent  of  a  southern  clime,  it  encircles  its  victim  with 
its  spiral  folds,  and  though  he  sees  the  scarlet  mouth, 
the  fiery,  forked  tongue,  and  feels  its  cold,  cold  breath 
upon  his  cheek,  yet  is  he  held  a  willing  captive  by  those 
glittering  folds  and  glaring  eyes.  It  beckons  its  votary 
on  a  pathway  which  leads,  through  beauteous  visions  of 
love,  wealth,  and  happiness,  down  to  the  river  of  death  ; 
but  alas !  beyond  the  surging  and  dismal  waters  there 
gleams  no  ray  of  light ;  and  the  dreadful  hereafter  is 
arched  by  no  beautiful  bow  of  promise,  spanning  its 
murky  depths ;  and  with  unavailing  shrieks  and  prayers 
the  poor  deluded  wretch  is  engulphed  in  the  hissing 
waves  of  ruin  and  despair !  It  blackens  with  a  midnight 
gloom  the  present,  while  it  gilds  with  golden  gleams  the 


LILY     WHITE.  47 

future.  Afar  off  he  beholds  the  Goddess  of  Fortune, 
with  unbounded  wealth  flowing  from  her  horn  of  plenty, 
but  on  approaching  he  finds  that  fortune  has  fled,  and 
in  her  stead  gaunt  famine,  poverty,  and  death,  meet 
him ;  and  each,  in  turn,  mock  him  with  jeers  and  de- 
moniac laughter.  This  vice  kindles  the  eye  with  an 
unnatural  fire,  and  withers  the  soul  with  an  unholy 
flame.  With  icy  fingers  it  traces  care  upon  the  brow, 
palor  upon  the  cheek,  and  sorrow  upon  the  heart.  It 
bends  the  form,  ruins  the  affections,  and  blights  the 
mind.  Ever  flitting — never  present — it  enchants  but  to 
destroy,  and  destroys  without  a  hope  in  God. 

With  pleasing  manners,  and  a  naturally  quick  though 
uncultivated  mind,  James  Lanier  was  enabled  to  main- 
tain a  respectable  position  in  fashionable  society.  He 
fell  in  love  with  a  young  widow,  Aurelia  White,  and,  the 
feeling  being  mutual,  Mrs.  White  soon  became  Mrs. 
Lanier.  Aurelia's  first  husband  was  a  kind-hearted, 
clever  man,  and  though  she  lived  with  him  but  a  short 
twelve  months,  yet  she  cherished  him  in  her  memory  as 
a  treasure,  and  often  wept  over  his  demise. 

The  pledge  of  that  short  union  was  a  beautiful, 
bright-eyed  little  girl.  Few  children,  indeed,  possessed 
a  more  lovely  disposition  than  Lily  White.  Mrs. 
White  brought  no  splendid  fortune  to  her  new  spouse; 
but  what  is  of  still  greater  importance,  she  conferred 
upon  him  a  love  pure  and  refined,  and  a  heart  that 
could  sympathize  with  him  in  the  darkness  of  affliction, 
and  rejoice  with  him  in  the  sunny  hours  of  success. 
It  requires  a  profounder  philosophy  than  we  are  master 
of  to  analyze  the  reasons  that  influence  individuals  of 
such  opposite  tastes,  feelings,  sympathies,  and  dispo- 


48  LILY     WHITE. 

sitions,  to  unite  their  destinies  in  the  holy  bonds  of 
matrimony.  But  such  is  the  fact.  Never  did  two 
persons  differ  more  widely  than  James  Lanier  and 
Aurelia  White.  With  him  association  had  polished 
his  manners,  but  had  left  his  heart  uncultivated. 
She  was  one  of  those  soft,  gentle  creatures,  whose 
eyes  beamed  with  kindness,  and  whose  soul  was  filled 
with  compassion.  He  was  fiery  and  impetuous,  and 
•when  once  there  arose  a  prejudice  in  his  mind,  no 
argument,  no  reason,  no  kindness  could  blot  it  from  his 
bosom.  With  all  his  vices  clinging  about  him,  James 
Lanier  respected  public  opinion,  and  like  many  other 
young  men,  for  awhile  succeeded  in  concealing  his  fond- 
ness for  gaming.  Many  of  his  friends  hoped  that  his 
union  with  Aurelia  would  check  his  onward  career.  To 
a  certain  extent  it  produced  a  wholesome  influence  over 
him.  After  marriage,  Aurelia  was  not  long  in  discover- 
ing his  character,  and  through  gentleness  and  kind  per- 
suasions she  influenced  him  to  sunder  his  associations  by 
moving  from  Mississippi  to  Texas.  Their  home  was 
most  beautiful.  Away — away  extended  the  broad  prai- 
ries, which,  when  breathed  upon  by  the  zephyrs,  were 
like  the  ocean.  In  the  spring-time  they  were  one  mighty 
expanse  of  flower  and  perfume. 

******** 
In  a  year  James  Lanier  found  himself,  one  beautiful 
morning  in  early  spring,  a — father.  A  sunbeam  had 
fallen  athwart  his  pathway,  a  bright  wing  had  flitted 
through  his  home,  and  a  little  angel — "  of  such  is  the 
kingdom  of  heaven" — was  given  unto  them.  Oh  !  there 
is  an  indescribable  joy,  mingled  with  a  vague  fear,  when 
the  announcement  is  for  the  first  time  made  that  you  are 


LILY     WHIT  E.  49 

a  father.  Father! — Mother! — these  are  sacred  and 
holy  names,  and,  amid  all  the  fierce  and  fiery  storms  of 
passions,  the  rage  and  fury  of  the  great  battle  of  life, 
they  fall  upon  the  ear,  soothing  and  consoling  and 
cheering  us  amid  the  roar  of  tempests  and  the  wreck  of 
hopes  !  James  Lanier  hoped  for  a  boy,  but  God  in  his 
wisdom  gave  him  a  girl.  Lily's  soul  overflowed  with 
delight  at  having  a  little  sister.  She  would  sometimes 
almost  smother  the  little  innocent  with  caresses,  and  for 
days  talked  of  nothing  else.  Her  toys  and  dolls  were 
all  for  the  baby,  and  nothing  that  she  possessed  was  too 
good  or  too  fine  for  her  infant  sister.  Lily  seemed  a 
new  child.  She  was  never  happier  than  when  she  could 
play  with  its  little  red  feet,  and  sing  to  it  some  childish 
song.  She  would  weary  her  mother  with  many  ques- 
tions. "  When  did  little  sister  coine  ?  who  brought  her  ? 
and  how?"  And  when  informed  that  a  kind-hearted 
old  lady  had  found  her  in  a  hollow  tree  in  the  great 
forest,  her  eyes  resembled  two  miniature  moons,  so  wide 
were  they  opened  in  wonder  and  amazement. 

Years  flew  by,  and  time  had  wrought  many  changes 
in  that  western  home.  Lily  White  and  her  sister  Fanny 
had  grown  apace,  and  were  now  in  the  rosy  hours  of 
maidenhood.  In  their  whole  lives  they  had  never  been 
separated.  They  had  often  and  oft  knelt  by  their  fond 
mother's  knee,  and  together  had  lisped  their  evening 
prayers,  and  then  had  slept  and  dreamed,  locked  in 
each  other's  warm  embrace.  Together  had  they  chased, 
in  glee,  the  gaudy  butterfly,  and  had  plucked  the  beau- 
teous flowers ;  and  in  later  years,  hand  in  hand,  had 
sauntered  forth  to  talk  of  hope  and  friends  and  love. 
They  often  rode,  on  the  pleasant  evenings,  over  the 


50  LILT     WHITE. 

flowery  prairie,  and,  throwing  their  long  hair  ahout  their 
rounded  shoulders  in  a  shower  of  beauty,  would  gallop 
for  miles  over  the  green  grassy  plain.  Those,  indeed, 
were  happy  days,  unclouded  by  a  single  care  and  un- 
dimmed  by  a  single  sorrow ;  and  often,  in  after  life,  did 
they  rise  up  before  the  mind  of  Lily  in  frightful  con- 
trast to  what  she  then  was  suffering.  Indeed,  it  is  true 
that  the  brightest  morning  sometimes  brings  the  darkest 
evening !  In  our  sunniest  hours  we  should  look  for  the 
darkness  that  lies  ahead,  and  when  in  the  midst  of  life  we 
should  not  forget  that  death  steals  on  with  the  stealth  of  a 
tiger,  and  that  his  black  pall  may  even  now  be  dropping 
its  shadow  over  us !  A  winning  smile  may  conceal  a 
purpose  as  black  as  hell ;  the  rose  has  its  thorn ;  the 
velvet  grass  is  the  lurking  place  for  the  deadly  serpent ; 
and  danger  may  come  from  a  point  of  all  the  least 


Lily  White  and  Fanny  Lanier,  though  they  loved 
each  other  as  sisters  never  loved  before,  yet  they  were 
as  unlike  in  disposition  and  appearance  as  two  half-sis- 
ters well  could  be.  Lily  was  mild  as  a  soft  May  even- 
ing, and  in  her  whole  disposition  greatly  resembled  her 
mother ;  Fanny  was  a  gay,  wild  child  of  nature,  re- 
sembling a  bright  June  morning,  with  its  glittering  dews 
and  rosy  clouds,  and  inherited  the  impulse  and  spright- 
liness  of  her  father.  Lily  was  of  fair  complexion,  and 
the  rosy  hue  of  health  touched  her  cheeks  with  loveli- 
ness ;  Fanny  was  a  dark  brunette,  and  when  these  two 
maidens  were  together  it  afforded  a  curious  problem 
to  determine  which  was  the  prettier. 

These  sisters  were  educated  at  Georgetown,  in  the 
District  of  Columbia.  They  had  been  absent  several 


LILY      WHITE.  51 

years,  and  Lily,  leaving  her  sister  to  complete  her  educa- 
tion, returned  home  only  to  find  her  joy  turned  into  a 
bitter  cup  of  gall.  Lily  was  not  long  in  discovering  that 
her  mother  was  wasting  away,  and  fading  like  a  flower. 
The  cough,  the  uneasiness,  the  unnatural  brilliancy  of 
the  eye,  and  the  hectic  glow  upon  the  cheek,  all  indi- 
cated the  presence  of  that  awful  disease,  which  comes 
creeping,  like  a  serpent,  upon  the  victim  which  it 
has  charmed.  Oh !  bitter,  bitter  were  the  tears  which 
she  shed  on  making  that  sad  discovery.  In  the  silent 
watches  of  the  solemn  night  would,  she  lift  her  voice  in 
prayer,  beseeching  a  rich  throne  of  Grace  to  avert  the 
hand  of  death.  For  hours  she  would  toss  upon  her 
pillow,  and 

" the  dappled  gray  coursers  of  the  morn 

Beat  up  the  light  with  their  bright  silver  hoofs," 

and  found  her  eyes  still  unclosed  in  slumber. 

Day  by  day  Mrs.  Lanier  wasted  away.  Not  a  mur- 
mur escaped  her  lip.  While  at  home  Col.  Lanier  was 
seemingly  kind,  but  he  was  absent  much  of  his  time  in 
travelling,  or  in  New  Orleans.  Mrs.  Lanier  was  meek 
and  patient.  She  glided,  like  a  spirit,  from  room  to 
room,  in  the  discharge  of  her  household  duties.  Like  a 
guardian  angel,  Lily  ever  hovered  about  her  mother. 
No  word  had  ever  escaped  either  the  daughter  or  mother 
on  the  subject  which  was  disturbing  the  peace  of  the 
former  and  was  haunting  the  cheek  of  the  latter. 

One  beautiful  evening  in  September,  Lily  and  her 
mother  were  sitting  on  the  steps  of  the  front  portico. 
The  evening  was  mild  and  balmy.  From  the  distant 
gulf  the  breeze  came  ladened  with  health  and  vigor, 
and,  as  twilight  deepened,  one  by  one  the  stars,  in  silver 


52  LILY      WHITE. 

sandals,  stepped  forth  upon  the  azure  sky  and  twinkled 
in  their  beauty.  By  degrees  the  prairie,  swelling  gently 
away  toward  the  far-off  horizon,  was  overspread  with 
a  dreamy  haziness.  It  was  an  hour  to  soften  the  most 
rugged  nature,  and  to  melt  the  soul  into  a  gushing 
fountain  of  tears.  It  was  an  hour  to  cause  the  bad 
man  to  pause  and  reflect,  and  to  make  the  good  man 
better. 

"Mother,"  said  Lily,  "are  you  not  afraid  to  sit  in 
the  night  air,  with  the  wind  blowing  so  freshly  upon 
you?" 

"No,  my  child,"  replied  her  mother,  "I  am  better 
now,  and  this  scene  is  so  serene  and  beautiful  that  I 
cannot  forego  the  temptation  to  enjoy  it." 

"  Well,  my  mother,  let  me  bring  you  your  shawl." 

With  this  the  dear  good  girl  tripped  swiftly  away  to 
minister  to  the  comforts  of  her  mother.  She  was  not 
long  absent,  but  on  her  return  she  found  her  mother 
wiping  her  eyes  and  trying  to  conceal  her  tears. 

"  What  is  the  matter,  mother  ?  Tell  me  why  you 
weep ;"  and  throwing  her  arms  about  her  neck  Lily 
wept  herself,  as  if  her  heart  would  break. 

"  I  was  thinking,  my  child,  as  you  tripped  away  just 
now  to  serve  your  mother,  that  you  would  not  have  that 
pleasure  long ;  for,  my  daughter,  there  is  that  within 
which  tells  me  I  am  rapidly  passing  away."  Mrs. 
Lanier  folded  Lily  to  her  heart. 

"  Oh !  do  not  talk  thus,  my  mother  dear.  You  will 
break  my  poor  heart — you  will — you  will." 

"  Come,  come,  Lily,  let's  calm  ourselves,  and  with 
Christian  fortitude  talk  of  the  future.  I  have  seen  but 
too  plainly,  from  your  care-worn  brow  and  anxious  coun- 


LILYWHITE.  53 

tenance,  that  you  have  made  the  discovery  that  I  am 
not  long  for  this  world.  My  child,  I  know  that  I  am 
dying — dying  just  as  you  see  yonder  star  on  the  eastern 
sky  closing  its  twinkling  eye  and  fading  softly  and 
gently  into  the  bosom  of  the  heavens  before  the  up- 
rising moon." 

"Oh!  my  mother  dear,"  cried  Lily,  "you  can  never 
— never  know  how  much  I  have  wept  and  prayed,  when 
I  saw  you,  day  by  day,  trembling  like  a  spirit  in  our 
midst,  and  knew  that  I  should  ere  long  see  that  spirit 
pluming  itself  for  a  flight  to  a  brighter  and  happier 
world.  I  know  you  will  there  be  free  from  pain  and 
care,  mother ;  but  oh  !  what  will  become  of  your  orphan 
Lily,  when  left  alone  in  this  cold  and  selfish  world, 
without  a  mother's  advice  and  a  mother's  love  ?" 

Lily's  heart  seemed  nigh  to  bursting,  and  a  soul  of 
steel  would  have  been  softened  could  it  have  beheld  that 
sobbing  girl  folding  that  dying  mother  to  her  bosom, 
and  hiding  that  pale  face  in  her  own  golden  tresses. 

"Remember,  Lily,  my  child,  that  this  affliction  is 
from  the  hands  of  '  Him  who  doeth  all  things  well,'  and 
that  we  owe  all  our  blessings  to  his  bounty.  '  He  tem- 
pers the  wind  to  the  shorn  lamb,'  and  not  a  sparrow 
falls  to  the  earth  without  his  knowledge.  Trust,  my 
child,  in  Him,  and  when  your  mother  sleeps  in  death, 
He  will  be  your  friend  and  father,  guiding  your  feeble 
footsteps  aright,  and  blessing  your  life  with  peace  and 
happiness." 

By  this  time  the  full  round  moon  appeared  above  the 

horizon,  drowning  with  her  radiance  many  a  trembling 

star,  and,  like  a  fair  enchantress,  changed  that   gray 

mist  into  a  transparent,  silvery  veil;     As  the  mellow 

6 


54  LILY     WHITE. 

moon-beams  fell  upon  the  face  of  Mrs.  Lanier,  she 
seemed  a  creature  from  the  spirit-land — so  fair,  so  pale, 
and  so  like  unto  marble  were  her  features. 

"Weep  no  more  for  me,"  continued  she,  "for  I  feel, 
my  child,  that  my  inheritance  is  far  beyond  those  dimly 
burning  worlds,  '  where  the  wicked  cease  from  troubling 
and  the  weary  are  at  rest.'  Death  has  no  terrors  for 
me;  and  as  the  hour  of  my  departure  arrives  I  trust  I 
can  say,  '  0  death,  where  is  thy  sting  ?  0  grave,  where 
is  thy  victory  ?'  It  is  true,  it  sometimes  grieves  me  to 
think  I  cannot  live  to  see  my  darling  children  happy  in 
life  and  adorning  society  with  their  examples." 

"I  have  tried  again  and  again,  mother,"  said  Lily, 
"  to  overcome  my  grief,  but  with  every  effort  it  comes 
upon  me  like  an  angry  wave.  Let  me  weep,  my  mo- 
ther, for  it  brings  relief  to  my  poor  breaking  heart.  I 
could  not  help  it  if  I  wished,  for  you  have  been  a  good 
kind  mother  unto  me  all  the  days  of  my  erring  life,  and 
now  my  tears  are  all  that  I  can  offer  you." 

"  I  humbly  tried  to  discharge  my  duties  to  my  chil- 
dren to  the  best  of  my  feeble  abilities.  I  have  taught 
you  how  to  pray,  how  vain  is  all  the  pomp  of  this  poor 
paltry  world,  how  fleeting  and  uncertain  is  life,  how 
hopes  decay  and  beauties  wither,  how  disappointments 
come  and  dim  the  eye  and  blanch  the  cheeks ;  and 
have  pointed  out  to  you  the  bleeding  form  of  our  Sa- 
viour upon  the  cross  of  Calvary,  pouring  out  his  warm 
life's  blood  that  we  might  not  die  but  have  eternal  life. 
If,  my  child,  I  have  failed  in  aught  a  doating  mother 
should  perform,  forgive  me,  as  I  pray  to  be  forgiven." 

Lily  bowed  her  head  upon  her  mother's  lap  and  gave 
full  vent  to  her  feelings.  At  length  she  said  : — 


LILY     WHITE.  55 

"You  have  been  more  than  a  mother  to  sister  and 
myself.  You  have  been  unto  as  an  angel,  my  mother ; 
and  while  this  heart  shall  throb  will  I  cherish  you  in  my 
most  sacred  remembrance.  But  tell  me,  mother,  when 
you  go  hence  will  you  be  my  guardian  spirit?  Will  you 
be  near  me  in  my  slumbers,  and  whisper  to  me  in  my 
dreams  ?  Will  you  hover  over  me  when  I  plant  the 
beautiful  violets  on  your  grave,  and  will  you  come  to  me 
when  I  walk  forth  in  the  silent  woods?" 

"My  Lily,"  said  the  mother,  "who  can  unveil  the 
mysteries  that  shroud  the  silent  world  beyond  the  tomb  ? 
But  if  it  be  permitted  the  dead  to  return  to  the  living, 
I  will  linger  on  your  pathway  like  a  ray  of  light ;  I  will 
steal  softly  to  you, 

1  The  viewless  spirit  of  a  lovely  sound, 
A  living  voice,  a  breathing  harmony,' 

and  warn  you  of  danger  and  guard  you  in  your  vir- 
tue." 

"  Oh !  a  thousand,  thousand  thanks  for  these  kind 
words  !  I  will  never  forget  them.  I  can  now  bear  more 
calmly  the  fate  that  awaits  me.  I  will  often,  mother, 
believe  that  I  hear  your  voice  in  the  low  murmuring 
streams,  in  the  gentle  melody  of  birds,  and  in  the  hum- 
ming of  insects.  I  shall  fancy  that  when  the  soothing 
zephyr  fans  my  brow  it  is  your  angel  wings,  and  that 
the  aroma  of  the  flowers  is  the  perfume  of  your  breath. 
I  shall  watch  the  starry  vault  and  imagine  that  you  are 
looking  down  upon  your  Lily  from  yon  tremulous  star, 
hanging  just  above  the  horizon." 

Mrs.  Lanier  and  her  daughter  both  felt  relieved  after 
the  ice  was  broken,  and  now  calmly  talked  together.  She 


66  LILY     WHITE. 

did  not  forget  Fanny,  though  away.     She  talked  of  her 
much,  and  said : — 

"  When  I  am  gone,  you,  Lily,  must  be  a  mother  unto 
Fanny ;  kindly  throw  about  her  those  gentle  restraints 
which  bind  without  giving  offence." 

Lily  promised,  and,  the  night  growing  chilly,  they 
withdrew  from  the  portico  and  retired  for  the  evening. 

From  that  night  Mrs.  Lanier  rapidly  declined.  She 
complained  frequently  of  severe  headaches,  and  of 
increasing  pain  of  the  side.  By  the  time  the  chilling 
winds  of  bleak  November  began  to  blow  she  seldom  left 
her  room.  Reclining  in  a  huge  arm-chair,  she  was 
wheeled  from  point  to  point. 

Lily  would  scarcely  leave  her  mother's  side  long 
enough  to  satisfy  her  appetite.  She  would  sing  for  her, 
and  read  to  her  from  the  Bible  such  passages  as  she 
loved  to  hear.  In  January  Mrs.  Lanier  was  so  low  that 
Fanny  was  ordered  home  to  see  her  mother  die.  It  was 
thought  she  would  not  live  to  see  her  absent  daughter, 
but  the  stern  disease  relaxed  his  grasp,  and  she  revived 
so  that  she  could  even  sit  alone  upon  her  couch,  sup- 
ported by  pillows. 

A  few  weeks  passed  away,  and  Fanny  was  at  home : 
not  with  the  light  heart  of  the  maiden,  for  her  spirit  was 
overclouded  by  a  dark  wing. 

The  gentle  spring  came,  with  its  birds  and  grass  and 
flowers.  It  was  hoped  by  the  physician  that  its  balmy 
breath  would  revive  the  drooping  flower.  But  not  so. 
One  beautiful  evening  the  daughters  and  mother  were 
together  in  her  room.  Mrs.  Lanier  was  reclining,  as 
usual,  in  her  easy  chair ;  Fanny  was  engaged  with  her 
needle  on  some  delicate  garment,  and  Lily  was  reading 


LILY     WHITE.  57 

aloud  those  promises  of  Holy  Writ  which  illumine  the 
pathway  to  the  grave. 

"Is  the  sun  most  down,  my  dears?"  she  said,  in  a 
voice  low  and  feeble. 

"Yes,  mother,"  replied  Fanny;  "and  will  you  not 
let  me  wheel  you  to  the  window,  that  you  may  see  how 
grand  and  gorgeous  is  his  setting?" 

"  Yes,  my  child,  I  wish  to  look  upon  his  broad  disk 
once  more,  for  I  feel  that  it  will  be  the  last  opportunity 
I  shall  have  on  earth." 

Those  kind  and  loving  daughters  slowly  and  gently 
brought  their  mother  to  the  open  casement. 

The  pale  and  emaciated  sufferer  fixed  a  long  and 
ardent  gaze  upon  the  red  round  sun.  A  few  thin  vapory 
clouds,  lying  along  the  horizon,  were  flooded  with  a 
golden  glory.  The  broad  expanse  of  prairie,  over  which 
streamed  his  dying  rays,  was  never  more  magnificent. 

Lily  and  Fanny  were  standing  behind  her  chair,  with 
tears  streaming  down  their  cheeks.  Oh!  that  scene 
was  worthy  of  a  great  painter's  pencil,  and  was  one 
over  which  even  an  angel  might  have  wept !  Slowly 
sank  the  sun,  and  when  he  finally  disappeared,  a  large, 
bright  tear  went  trickling  down  the  wan  cheek  of  Mrs. 
Lanier. 

"  Oh !  my  dear  children,  I  pray  God  that  my  exit 
may  be  as  gentle  and  serene  as  that  which  we  just  have 
seen.  And  may  the  good  which  I  have  done  linger  be- 
hind mer  like  those  streaks  of  purple,  shooting  up  the 
sky, — only  more  permanent  in  their  effect." 

At  deep  twilight  Col.  Lanier  returned  from  an  en- 
gagement, which  had  claimed  his  absence,  and  Fanny, 
meeting  him  at  the  front  door,  threw  her  arms  about 
5* 


58  LILY     WHITE. 

his  neck,  and,  between  her  sobbings,  informed  him  that 
she  feared  her  mother  was  dying.  Though  he  was  every 
day  expecting  the  crisis  to  arrive,  yet  he  manifested  ex- 
citement and  alarm.  He  hastened  to  his  wife's  room, 
followed  by  Fanny,  and  stood  trembling  like  an  aspen 
when  he  beheld  the  altered  expression  of  his  wife.  She 
was  sleeping,  and  her  loud,  uneven  breathing  told  them 
that  at  every  pulsation  her  life  was  ebbing  away. 

Col.  Lanier  softly  placed  a  chair  by  the  bed,  and, 
seating  himself,  bent  his  eyes  upon  his  sleeping  wife. 

In  the  breast  of  that  bold,  worldly  man,  was  raging 
a  mighty  tempest.  There  were  struggling  up  from  the 
secret  chambers  of  his  heart  the  kindlier  feelings  of  his 
stubborn  nature,  which  for  many  a  long  year  had  slum- 
bered in  repose. 

In  an  instant  stalked  before  him  the  past  sixteen 
years.  There  was  the  gilded  altar,  in  the  dim,  quiet 
church,  at  which  he  and  that  pale  form  were  made  one 
flesh — the  thousand  tender  words  and  sweet  endear- 
ments of  that  kind  creature — his  own  sad  neglects  and 
harsh  upbraidings, — and  now  before  him  she  lay  in  the 
valley  of  the  shadow  of  Death,  with  his  clammy  fingers 
already  laid  heavy  upon  her.  His  conscience  smote 
him,  and  bending  his  face  upon  the  bed  he  hid  it  from 
the  view  of  his  children. 

A  gentle  tap  upon  the  door,  and  Lily,  upon  tip-toe, 
opened,  and  welcomed  the  physician,  who  had  in  the 
mean  time  been  summoned. 

He  approached  the  bedside  of  Mrs.  Lanier,  and, 
bowing  to  the  Colonel,  laid  his  hand  upon  hers  and  felt 
her  pulse.  He  quietly  turned  to  the  fireplace,  where 
Lily  was  preparing  some  mild  potation,  and  inquired 


LILY      WHITE.  59 

when  her   mother   had   been   taken  worse,  and  other 
things  of  a  like  nature. 

"  How  long,  doctor,"  said  Lily,  "do  you  think  mother 
can  survive?" 

The  doctor  was  one  of  those  kind-hearted,  candid 
men,  and  answered — without  any  hesitation — "  She 
may  survive  until  morning,  hut  you  may  prepare  your- 
self for  her  death  at  any  moment.  If  her  sleep  does 
not  refresh  her  she  will  soon  he  free  from  suffering."  A 
struggle  of  the  dying  woman  soon  brought  them  to  her 
bedside.  The  physician  took  her  by  the  hand  and 
asked  how  she  felt. 

"  I  am  better  now,"  said  she.  He  had  to  bend  his 
ear  close  to  his  patient  to  catch  her  words. 

"Oh!"  she  continued,  "I  have  had  such  a  sweet, 
sweet  sleep,  and  such  pleasant  dreams,  and  have  heard 
such  rich,  low  music.  Doctor,  how  came  you  here,  and 
why  are  you  all  standing  about  my  bed  ?  Oh !  yes, 
yes ;  I  feel  it  now,  I  am  dying ;  where  is  Col.  Lanier?" 

Col.  Lanier  caught  his  wife  to  his  bosom,  and  im- 
pressed upon  her  cheek  a  kiss.  She  found  just  sufficient 
strength  to  throw  her  withered  arms  about  his  neck, 
and,  after  recovering  from  the  exertion  which  it  re- 
quired, addressed  him  in  these  words  : — 

"James,  sixteen  years  ago,  to-morrow  night,  I  first 
became  your  wife, — and  since  that  time  you  best  know 
how  I  have  discharged  the  duties  and  relations  which 
our  union  brought.  You  little  think,  dear  husband,  how 
many  prayers  I  have  sent  trembling  to  the  God  of  love 
on  your  behalf.  To-morrow  night,  I  will  be  sleeping  in 
the  tomb ;  will  you  come  often,  James,  to  my  grave,  and 
will  you  remember  me  ?  I  cannot  gee  you  now,  James, 


60  LILY,    WHITE. 

my  sight  is  fading  fast ;  but,  oh  !  my  husband,  will  you 
meet  me  in  that  happy  land,  far  above  the  skies,  where 
pain  is  not  and  friends  are  parted  nevermore?  For 
my  sake,  James,  protect  my  Lily,  for  she  will  soon  be 
an  orphan  child,  and  shield  her  from  the  tempest's  blast, 
and  from  the  bitter  world.  I  know  your  father's  heart 
needs  no  caution  as  to  Fanny " 

She  seemed  as  if  she  would  add  something  more,  but 
the  exertion  which  this  conversation  produced  exhausted 
her  strength,  and  for  a  long  time  she  lay  with  her  eyes 
closed,  as  if  she  might  be  dead. 

Col.  Lanier  paced  the  room  in  sorrow  and  regret.  In 
a  short  time  Mrs.  Lanier  opened  her  eyes  and  called  her 
children  to  her  bedside. 

"  Speak  to  me,"  said  she,  "  and  once  more  let  me 
hear  your  voices,  for  I  cannot  see  you  now." 

Each  in  turn  addressed  their  mother,  and  begged  her 
blessing  ere  she  died. 

She  kissed  each  of  them,  and  bade  them  be  kind  and 
affectionate  to  one  another ;  and  again  exhorted  them 
to  meet  her  in  heaven. 

At  length  her  voice  failed ;  she  slowly  closed  her  eyes, 
a  gentle  shudder  rushed,  like  electricity,  along  her  limbs, 
and  just  as  the  old  family  clock  struck  the  solemn  and 
impressive  hour  of  one,  her  spirit  winged  its  flight  to- 
ward that  distant  shore  for  which  it  had  so  often 
yearned. 

No  dreadful  shrieks  were  uttered  there — only  deep- 
drawn  sighs,  and  now  and  then  a  suppressed  groan ;  for 
day  by  day  were  they  expecting  what  they  just  had 
seen.  It  is  indeed  a  solemn  thing  to  stand  beside  the 
death-bed  of  those  whom  we  have  loved. 


LILY     WHITE.  61 

But  oh !  what  a  triumph  it  is  to  die  the  Christian's 
death,  as  did  the  good  Aurelia  Lanier !  It  is  a  victory, 
greater,  by  far,  than  has  ever  been  achieved  upon  bloody 
battle-fields,  amid  the  roar  and  tumult  of  contending 
armies.  The  poet's  laurel  may  wither  and  die — the 
bold  achievements  of  the  warrior  may  soon  be  lost  amid 
revolutions  and  counter-revolutions — the  most  daring 
flight  of  human  intellect  may  be  touched  by  the  cheer- 
less waves  of  oblivion, — but  the  Christian  dying  in  the 
firm  faith  of  a  Saviour's  love,  and  with  the  glory  of  a 
new  and  brighter  world  streaming  upon  the  fading  vision, 
is  a  victory  the  like  of  which  cannot  be  found  in  all  the 
pomp  and  glitter  of  earthly  magnificence.  Such  a  death 
unhinges  the  subtlest  philosophy  of  the  atheist  and  sends 
him  cowering  into  a  deeper  gloom  than  he  has  ever 
known,  for  it  unveils  the  truth — 

"  So  boldly,  plainly,  perfectly  distinct, 

That  none  the  meaning  can  mistake  or  doubt," 

******* 
Time — relentless  time — pauses  not  in  his  ever-onward 
career.  In  his  hurrying  march  he  touches  empires,  and 
they  moulder  into  dust ;  with  his  icy  breath  the  fairest 
creations  of  man  wither  and  pass  away;  and  yet  he 
rushes  on,  leaving  in  his  wake  broken  hopes  and  mould- 
ering cities,  black  disappointments  and  shivered  co- 
lumns, buried  in  one  common  mass  beneath  his  restless 
tread.  But  anon,  amid  the  gloom  and  desolation,  beau- 
teous flowers  spring  forth  and  shed  their  rich  aroma  on 
the  balmy  air.  Thus  it  was  with  Lily  and  her  sister 
Fanny.  Their  hearts  were  sorely  grieved,  and  at  times 
no  ray  of  light  appeared  to  cheer  them  on  their  way. 


62  LILYWHITE. 

But  the  human  heart  cannot  always  mourn ;  and,  ere 
long,  one  by  one  new  hopes  arose  and  clustered  round 
their  souls,  like  flowers  round  a  tomb.  In  a  short  time 
Fanny,  accompanied  by  her  father,  returned  to  school, 
leaving  Lily  with  a  female  friend,  whose  service  had 
been  employed  to  attend  to  the  household  duties.  She 
planted  flowers  upon  her  mother's  grave,  and  morning 
and  evening  watered  them  with  her  tears. 

Col.  Lanier  returned  home  in  the  course  of  the  spring, 
and  during  the  remainder  of  the  year  seldom  left  his 
plantation,  except  to  ride  occasionally  to  the  neighbor- 
ing town  for  letters  and  the  news. 

In  his  intercourse  with  Lily  he  was  kind  and  gentle, 
and  sometimes  would  fix  his  eyes  upon  her  in  such  a 
strange  manner  that  she  frequently  felt  the  crimson 
starting  to  her  cheeks.  Toward  the  close  of  summer, 
just  as  the  leaves  began  to  grow  red  and  the  distant 
forest  was  one  variegated  scene,  letters  came  from 
Fanny,  announcing  her  ill-health.  Col.  Lanier  deter- 
mined to  take  Lily  and  go  on  to  see  his  daughter.  So, 
early  in  November,  they  set  out  for  New  Orleans. 
Here  they  spent  several  days.  Lily,  returning  from  the 
theatre  on  that  eventful  night  with  which  the  reader  is 
acquainted,  by  some  mischance  dropped  her  slipper, 
which  Eugene  in  a  few  hours  picked  up.  On  reaching 
Georgetown,  they  found  Fanny's  health  somewhat  im- 
proved, but  yet  she  was  very  feeble  and  delicate.  The 
physicians  advised  the  Colonel  to  spend  the  winter  in 
Europe,  thinking  that  change  of  scene  and  climate  would 
restore  the  fair  sufferer. 

Col.  Lanier,  after  some  deliberation,  finally  concluded 
to  take  the  advice  of  the  physicians,  and  began  to  make 


LILY     WHITE.  63 

his  preparations.  Before  he  could  possibly  set  sail  it 
was  essential  to  hear  from  New  Orleans,  hence  he 
determined  to  await  his  letters  in  New  York.  Con- 
sequently, in  company  with  Lily  and  Fanny,  he  soon 
arrived  at  that  metropolis. 

They  set  sail,  arrived  safely  in  London,  spent  some 
time  in  the  rural  districts  of  England,  visited  France, 
and,  according  to  the  directions  of  Fanny's  physicians, 
sought  Venice  as  their  winter  quarters. 

At  this  time  Eugene  was  sailing  upon  his  lake  or 
strolling  into  the  silent  forest,  and,  as  the  reader  re- 
members, was  daily  expecting  an  answer  from  his  friend. 
Thus  we  see  that  life  is  a  strange  mystery,  for  Eugene 
in  a  few  weeks  after  followed  the  owner  of  the  slipper, 
as  if  directed  by  the  hand  of  destiny. 

There  are  many  things  which  happen  every  day  and 
every  month  that  we  cannot  solve,  only  by  saying  that. 
Providence  willed  it  thus ;  and  there  the  matter  ends. 


64  LILY     WHITE. 


CHAPTER  IX. 

It  never  was  a  prosperous  world 

Since  priests  have  interfered  with  temporal  matters ; 

The  custom  of  their  ancestors  they  slight, 

And  change  their  shirts  of  hair  for  robes  of  gold ; 

Thus  luxury  and  interest  rule  the  church, 

While  piety  and  conscience  dwell  in  caves. 

BANCROFT'S  FALL  OF  MORTIMER. 

Do  you — dare  you 
Taunt  me  with  my  deformity  ? 

BYRON. 

WITH  the  very  name  of  Italy  a  thousand  fond  asso- 
ciations crowd  upon  the  mind.  It  is  a  land  of  heroes, 
and  stands  flooded  with  eternal  glory  !  Rome  !  Rome  ! 
eternal  Rome !  what  a  mighty  change  has  time  wrought 
upon  thy  greatness  and  power  !  Like  a  mighty  giant, 
the  Roman  Empire  marched  victorious  to  the  Rhine  and 
Danube,  to  the  great  Western  Ocean,  to  the  Euphrates  ; 
and  her  power  was  even  felt  upon  the  burning  sands  of 
the  Syrian  desert. 

Her  temples,  palaces,  and  porticoes  glittered  gor- 
geously in  the  sunbeams,  and  were  hallowed  by  the  elo- 
quence of  her  orators;  her  groves  were  sacred,  and 
through  their  shady  depths  strolled  her  poets  and  philo- 
sophers. Every  stream  had  its  associations ;  and,  from 
her  bountiful  hand,  Ceres  spread  the  earth  with  plenty 
and  happiness. 

Rome  was  then  free,  mighty,  magnificent !     She  now 


LILY     WHITE.  65 

stands  hoary  with  age,  her  power  gone,  her  temples, 
many  of  them,  sunken  beneath  the  rushing  waves  of 
time,  her  palaces  deserted,  and  her  monuments  crumbled 
into  dust.  Her  ancient  glory  and  grandeur  still  live, 
but  they  live  only  on  the  historic  page,  and  breathe  only 
in  her  works  of  genius.  The  proud  mistress  of  the 
world,  intoxicated  by  her  victories  and  power,  rushed 
into  luxury  and  licentiousness ;  and,  alas  !  what  has  been 
the  bitter  result  ?  Those  fair  groves  and  sacred  fields, 
over  which  Virgil  has  thrown  a  halo  of  everlasting  glory, 
are  wrapped  in  the  black  and  dismal  folds  of  a  hoary 
superstition,  which  charms  but  to  blight,  and  entices  but 
to  destroy.  Where  once  assembled  thousands,  rejoicing 
in  the  full  sunlight  of  freedom,  now  crouch  a  wretched 
peasantry,  down-trodden  by  the  iron  heel  of  Roman 
Catholicism.  Where  once  echoed  the  thrilling  eloquence 
of  a  Cicero,  now  is  heard  the  lamentations  of  the  miser- 
able, uttered  in  the  agony  of  despair.  Where  once 
arose  splendid  temples  to  the  gods,  now  reign  silence 
and  desolation.  The  Coliseum  still  stands,  with  the 
changes  of  centuries  written  upon  its  ivied  turrets,  but 
no  longer  echoes  the  proud  and  elastic  step  of  the  Roman. 
The  fountains  still  throw  their  sparkling  jets  into  the 
warm  sunshine,  but  their  merry  music  is  a  mockery  of 
that  foul  and  blasting  pollution  which  has  ruined  this 
fair  land.  Mars  and  Minerva  have  fallen  from  their 
pedestals,  and  Venus  has  forsaken  her  shrine !  Where 
once  dwelt  the  might  of  genius,  now  lingers  the  "Mys- 
tery of  Mysteries;"  where  once  breathed  the  spirit  of 
true  poetry,  now  rests  a  blighting  curse.  The  Pantheon, 
with  its  poetic  mythology,  has  been  changed  for  the 
Vatican,  whence  thunder  the  edicts  of  the  Pope ;  freedom 


66  LILYWHITE. 

has  been  transformed  into  tyranny ;  the  manly  gown, 
into  the  robe  and  cowl  of  the  priest ;  and  the  beauty  of 
Italy  has  been  blackened  by  the  Inquisition.  The 
Church  of  Rome,  seated  amid  the  magnificence  of  centu- 
ries, and  surrounded  by  the  trophies  of  many  a  well- 
fought  battle-field,  exults  in  the  ruin  it  has  brought  and 
in  the  misery  it  has  created.  Its  presence  is  more 
dreadful  than  fire,  pestilence,  or  the  sword.  With  its 
venerable  superstition  and  imposing  ritual,  Catholicism 
sows  the  seeds  of  poverty,  ignorance,  and  death.  It 
awes  by  its  splendor  and  utterly  destroys  by  its  power. 
It  elevates  the  cross;  but,  instead  of  leading  the  fol- 
lower into  the  flowery  vales  of  peace,  that  lie  beyond 
the  Jordan  of  death,  it  conducts  into  regions  of  poverty 
and  degradation  in  this  world,  and  throws  no  ray  of 
light  beyond  the  blackness  of  the  next.  It  crushes  the 
truth  of  the  Bible  beneath  its  wheel,  and  enforces  its 
edicts  and  mandates  by  the  rack,  the  torture,  and  the 
trap- door. 

Oh !  if  the  veil  could  be  torn  from  the  horrid  front  of 
this  "Mother  of  Harlots,"  what  vice,  what  suffering, 
what  cruelty,  what  infamy  would  be  revealed !  Enter 
the  palace  of  the  Pope.  All  is  art,  elegance,  and  mag- 
nificence. But,  ah !  descend  into  those  gloomy,  dismal, 
subterranean  labyrinths,  that  lead  to  dungeons  that 
have  never  known  a  ray  of  sunlight,  and  what  do  you 
behold  ?  You  start !  It  makes  your  heart  grow  sick, 
and  you  feel  as  if  you  would  suffocate  !  Hark  ! — hush  ! 
Hearest  thou  that  low,  sad  groan  ?  It  is  from  a  poor 
unfortunate  wretch  who  is  dying  of  hunger.  Here  you 
behold  one  buried  to  his  chin  in  wet  lime ;  there  an- 
other, placed  in  binding  fetters,  with  a  cold  and  cruel 


LILY     WHITE.  67 

drop  of  water  forever  falling  every  minute  upon  the 
same  spot  on  his  head,  until  it  is  wearing  away  the 
skull.  Oh!  awful,  awful,  awful  death!  Hark  again! 
Another  shriek  bursts  forth  and  rings  through  those 
dreadful  passages !  Approach  nearer.  See,  see !  with 
smiles  that  might  play  upon  the  face  of  devils,  those 
holy  fathers  have  bound  their  victim  naked  upon  the 
rack.  With  red-hot  irons  they  are  searing  his  flesh ; 
his  limbs  are  drawn  to  their  utmost  tension ;  they  tear 
his  nails  from  his  fingers  and  toes ;  they  run  melted  lead 
into  his  eyes,  and  slowly,  one  by  one,  pluck  his  limbs  from 
his  body. 

Under  ground,  and  deeper  still,  are  other  apartments. 
Here  are  confined,  in  eternal  gloom,  those  whose  locks 
have  whitened  in  a  prison-home.  In  Italy,  such  is 
Catholicism !  No  wonder  then,  that  such  a  blight,  and  so 
much  want  and  degradation,  find  a  home  where  religion 
is  an  unholy  imposition,  and  where  the  brilliancy  of  the 
outward  appearance  stands  forth  in  such  frightful  con- 
trast to  the  blackness  and  corruption  that  lie  within. 
The  history  of  the  world  has  proven  this  to  be  too  true. 
Ireland,  Spain,  and  Mexico  are  examples.  How  can  it 
be  otherwise  ?  In  Italy,  not  only  is  the  Bible  rejected 
by  the  Catholics,  but,  until  within  two  centuries,  the 
great  national  bard  Dante  was  suppressed  on  account  of 
his  liberal  views. 

The  annals  of  history  afford  the  example  of  no  coun- 
try which  has  been  more  shattered  by  internal  broils, 
revolutions,  and  misrule,  than  Italy.  The  Roman  Em- 
pire sunk  by  means  of  its  own  weight ;  and  the  final 
blow  was  given  by  a  Sicilian  barbarian,  (Odoacer,)  who, 
with  an  army  of  foreign  mercenaries  at  his  heels,  exe- 


68  LILY    WHITE. 

cuted  Orestes,  the  patrician,  and  compelled  Augustulus 
to  lay  aside  his  diadem.  Since  that  time,  Italy  has  been 
the  scene  of  revolution  and  counter-revolution,  and  no 
Republic  has  experienced  greater  convulsions  than  Flor- 
ence. During  the  Pontificate  of  Gregory  the  First,  in 
the  beginning  of  the  seventh  century,  papal  power  first 
took  a  firm  and  decided  hold  in  Italy ;  and  since  that 
period  Catholicism  has  been  marching  on  and  on  with 
the  strides  of  a  giant,  subverting  truth,  virtue,  and  mo- 
rality, wherever  found,  and  tracing  its  history  in  deeds 
of  the  darkest  cast  and  in  crimes  that  "  smell  to  hea- 
ven." And  even  in  1849  the  Inquisition  existed  in 
Rome,  and  its  influence  was  felt  throughout  Italy.  Not 
only  had  many  of  the  peasantry,  for  the  privileges 
which  it  brought,  united  themselves  to  the  Inquisition, 
but  even  many  of  the  nobles  were  found  within  its  ranks. 
Those  who  held  themselves  aloof,' were  watched  by  this 
many-eyed  argus,  and  upon  the  least  provocation  were 
thrown  into  filthy  dungeons  and  tortured  without  mercy. 
Among  the  number  who  fell  beneath  the  stroke  of  this 
cruel  and  powerful  engine  was  Lorenzino  Pitti,  the 
father  of  Simonetta.  Among  his  friends,  he  was  a 
man  of  liberal  views  and  great  influence.  But  he  had 
sympathized  too  strongly  with  the  unfortunate  Mediai, 
and  this  rankled  in  the  bosom  of  Catholicism,  until  he 
was  finally  arrested  and  incarcerated  within  the  walls  of 
a  prison.  His  wealth,  however,  was  not  confiscated, 
because  Bernardo,  the  holy  father,  had  interfered  in  its 
behalf,  having  one  eye  fixed  upon  the  daughter  and  the 
other  upon  the  Pitti  estate. 

It  is  true,  by  the  laws  of  his  Church,  he  could  enjoy 
neither  the  one  nor  the  other ;  but  to  a  daring  priest 


LILY     WHITE.  69 

like  Bernardo,  no  depth  of  iniquity  was  too  profound 
for  his  bold  reach. 

With  true  sorrow,  Simonetta  and  her  mother  mourned 
the  death  of  the  father  and  husband.  They  believed 
that  he  was  long  dead.  Since  he  appeared  before  the 
great  and  august  tribunal,  neither  of  them  had  heard  of 
him ;  and  as  it  was  no  unusual  circumstance  for  the  vic- 
tim never  again  to  make  his  appearance,  they  soon  de- 
spaired of  ever  seeing  him  on  earth.  But  on  the  very 
night  while  Eugene  was  confronting  Bernardo  in  the 
presence  of  Simonetta,  her  father  was  wasting  away  his 
life  in  that  city,  confined  in  a  cold  and  dreary  dungeon, 
emaciated  and  dying  from  ill-treatment  and  long  con- 
finement. Such  is  the  Roman  Catholic  Church,  and 
such  is  the  policy  of  its  priesthood ;  and  to  that  church 
and  to  that  priesthood  belonged  Bernardo. 

"  He  was  a  man 

Who  stole  the  livery  of  the  court  of  heaven 
To  serve  the  devil  in ;  in  virtue's  guise 
Devoured  the  widow's  house  and  orphan's  bread, 
In  holy  phrase  transacted  villainies 
That  common  sinners  durst  not  meddle  with." 

Eugene  Saunders  was  much  pleased  with  the  fair  and 
beautiful  Simonetta ;  but  further  than  a  warm  admira- 
tion of  her  beauty,  elegance,  and  accomplishments  were 
concerned,  he  was  not  interested.  Although  Simonetta 
had  been  caressed  and  flattered  since  her  first  entrance 
into  society,  yet  she  had  never  before  been  so  deeply  in- 
terested. Eugene's  conduct  toward  Bernardo  on  the 
night  of  the  banquet  had,  at  first,  so  conflicted  with  her 
religious  feelings,  that  she  scarcely  knew  in  what  light  to 
6* 


70  LILY     WHITE. 

view  him.  But  when  she  remembered  his  gentleness 
toward  her,  his  lofty  speech  and  manly  bearing  toward 
the  priest,  his  coolness  and  determination,  she  admired 
his  gallantry  and  bravery.  She  had  often  read  of  the 
honor,  daring,  and  noble-heartedness  of  the  Americans, 
and  that  evening  she  had  the  opportunity  of  witnessing 
that  true  courage  which  has  achieved  a  thousand  bril- 
liant victories  and  has  written  the  name  of  America  in 
undying  characters  on  the  highest  pinnacle  of  fame  !  It 
is  the  nature  of  woman  to  be  captivated  and  charmed  by 
noble  deeds  of  daring,  and  this  characteristic  stands 
prominently  forth  when  contrasted  with  her  mildness, 
gentleness,  and  patience.  Simonetta  did  not  pause  and 
consider  what  would  be  the  consequence  of  yielding  her 
heart  to  a  stranger.  She  felt  the  impulse  and  obeyed 
its  dictates.  She  for  a  moment  stood  upon  the  preci- 
pice, and  then  leaped  into  the  raging  whirlpool.  To  the 
warmth  and  impetuosity  of  her  nature  she  united  great 
pride,  hence  she  concealed,  only  as  a  woman  can  con- 
ceal, her  heart. 

Eugene  became  a  frequent  visitor  at  the  palace  of 
Pitti.  He  was  fond  of  music,  and  would  sit  enraptured 
by  the  rich  voice  of  the  Countess  as  she  would  throw 
her  soul  into  some  favorite  piece  from  Tasso.  They 
often  walked  forth  into  the  garden  that  belonged  to  the 
palace,  and  for  hours  talked  of  poetry,  painting,  and  the 
ancient  glory  of  Florence.  Eugene  could  not  help  ad- 
miring the  noble  enthusiasm  she  sometimes  manifested 
when  speaking  of  her  beloved  country. 

One  evening,  while  they  were  thus  strolling  through 
the  garden,  the  Countess  said  to  him,— 

"  Signore,  tell  me  something  of  your  own  country. 


LILY     WHITE.  71 

Are  your  skies  as  blue,  your  mountains  as  high,  your 
rivers  as  bright,  and  your  groves  as  beautiful,  as  here  in 
Italy?" 

"You  have  asked  me  a  question,"  said  he,  "which  I 
fear  I  cannot  answer  without  some  degree  of  prejudice. 
Like  all  true  Americans,  I  love  my  country,  and  never 
better  than  when  away  from  its  beautiful  shores  and  see- 
ing the  misery  and  want  that  exist  elsewhere.  But  I 
will  answer  you  in  the  language  of  one  of  our  poets : — 

'  We  have  wealth  of  land  and  streams, 
And  clouds  float  o'er  its  breast,  like  dreams, 
And  hills  stand  sentry,  and  the  sun 
Looks  kindly  all  its  haunts  upon.'  " 

It  would  but  weary  the  reader  to  repeat  all  those 
young  and  ardent  beings  said ;  suffice  it,  however,  to 
say,  that  Eugene  dwelt  in  glowing  terms  upon  his  native 
land.  He  told  her  that  it  reached  in  boundaries  far 


-  toward  the  setting  sun ; 


Around  it  hills  in  giant  sentry  stand, 

And  nowhere  else  God  bid  such  rivers  run 

From  out  the  hollow  of  his  awful  hand ; 

And  prairies  lift  their  inland  surges  grand 

Against  its  woods,  whose  dim,  mysterious  choir 

Send  answer  on  to  tones  that  wake  the  strand 

Of  lakes  o'er  which  the  eagle's  pinions  tire, 

While  yet  their  waves  blaze  on  beneath  his  eye  of  fire." 

When  Bernardo  left  the  gardens  of  the  Palace  Vec- 
chio,  on  the  evening  of  the  brilliant  fdte,  he  did  not  seek 
his  couch,  but,  taking  a  circuitous  route,  which  led 
through  narrow  and  gloomy  streets,  arrived  at  length  in 
front  of  a  wretched  dwelling,  which  bespoke  misery  and 


72  LILYWHITE. 

poverty  within  its  dingy  walls.  He  paused  and  glanced 
cautiously  around  him.  His  features  were  pale  and 
rigid,  and  his  whole  form  trembled  with  emotion.  For 
awhile  he  seemed  to  hesitate,  but  in  a  few  moments 
he  approached  the  door  and  rapped  several  times.  He 
applied  his  ear  to  the  key-hole,  and,  after  listening  for 
a  few  seconds,  muttered  to  himself, — 

"  Ha  !  I  have  aroused  the  old  bear  from  his  den  !" 

"Who  wishes  me  at  this  late  hour  of  the  night?" 
growled  a  deep  voice  from  within. 

"  One,"  replied  Bernardo,"  who  has  a  reason  for  his 
conduct." 

By  this  time  the  door  was  opened  and  the  moon- 
beams fell  upon  the  inmate  of  this  hovel.  In  size,  he 
was  a  dwarf.  His  shoulders  were  broad,  and  his  head 
seemed  twice  too  large  for  his  body.  In  fact,  he  was  a 
hideous  creature.  Time  had  traced  many  wrinkles  upon 
his  brow,  and  with  cunning  his  black  eyes  twinkled.  He 
was  clad  in  coarse  garments,  and  on  his  head  was  a  cap 
of  woolen.  High  above  his  head  he  held  a  dimly  burn- 
ing taper. 

"Is  it  you,  Father  Bernardo?"  said  the  dwarf. 
Crossing  himself  devoutly,  he  bade  the  priest  enter. 

Bernardo  followed  his  companion  to  a  little  dingy 
ante-room,  in  which  was  a  rude  pallet  and  a  rough 
table,  with  a  few  other  mean  articles  of  furniture,  in 
keeping  with  the  scene.  The  dwarf  set  the  taper  upon 
the  table  and  offered  the  priest  a  seat. 

"Well,  Uglino,"  said  Bernardo,  "have  you  executed 
my  orders?" 

"I  have,  holy  father.  I  saw  him  fettered  in  the 
lowest  dungeon,  and " 


LILY     WHITE.  73 

"  Speak  low,"  interrupted  the  priest,  "for  even  walls 
have  ears." 

"And  informed  him,"  continued  Uglino,  almost  in  a 
hiss,  "the  conditions  upon  which  he  could  regain  his 
liberty." 

"  What  said  he  to  that  ?"  eagerly  demanded  Ber- 
nardo. 

He  called  for  the  tortures,  and  said  that  he  would 
suifer  a  thousand  deaths  rather  than  purchase  his  free- 
dom by  selling  his  daughter  to  your  embrace," 

"  Said  he  thus  ?  I  have  seen  many  a  stubborn  nature 
softened  by  the  rack.  My  vengeance  is  now  ready  to 
fall  upon  his  head.  Uglino." 

"  Holy  father,  I  attend,"  answered  the  dwarf. 

"  Think  you  can  keep  a  secret  ?" 

"  I  have  preserved  many  a  one  for  the  holy  father. 
Do  you  doubt  me  ?  If  I  choose  to  repeat  them  I  could 
run  over  a  list  that  would  make  the  blood  curdle  in  the 
veins  of  honest  men  !  Do  you  remember  the " 

"  Hold  your  tongue,  thou  babbler,  and  forget  not  that 
you  are  in  the  presence  of  your  father  confessor." 

"I  keep  that  ever  in  view,  father,  and  crave  your 
pardon." 

While  Uglino  said  this,  his  black  eyes  glittered  like 
those  of  the  serpent.  Bernardo,  seeing  his  pent-up 
rage,  drew  his  robe  closer  to  his  form. 

"  I  pardon  you,"  said  he.  "  Uglino,  I  love  the  beau- 
tiful Simonetta  Pitti,  and  this  very  night,  even  this  very 
hour,  I  was  abused  and  disgraced  by  an  American  in 
her  presence.  Ay !  Uglino,  I  was  insulted  by  a  youth 
and  a  Protestant.  Ha !  he  heaped  epithets  upon  the 


74  LILYWHITE. 

holy  Catholic  Church,  and  even  dared  to  threaten  the 
life  of  a  priest." 

"The  heretic  deserves "  and  before  Uglino  could 

complete  his  sentence,  Benardo,  with  clenched  teeth, 
said, — 

"  Death !— death !  That's  the  object  of  this  late 
visit !" 

"  Ha  !  you  wish  to  find  an  assassin  !"  said  Uglino. 

"I  do,"  answered  Bernardo.  "He  has  crossed  my 
path  just  at  the  time  when  the  bird  was  almost  in  my 
net,  and  I  will  count  the  glittering  dust  down  to  any 
man  who  will  rid  me  of  this  rival.  He  has  cursed  the 
Church  of  Rome,  and  it  is  a  duty  we  owe  the  Virgin 
Mary,  to  offer  him  as  a  sacrifice  to  her  shrine." 

Bernardo  drew  from  beneath  his  robe  a  purse  of  coin 
and  emptied  it  upon  the  table. 

"I  understand,"  said  the  dwarf;  "that  money  is  for 
me.  But,  father,  though  I  have  been  guilty  of  many 
sins,  yet  I  have  never  imbued  my  hands  in  blood." 

"Do  you  refuse  to  obey  your  confessor?" 

Uglino's  eye  again  sparkled,  and  a  smile  of  triumph 
lit  his  features. 

"I'll  do  it,  father." 

"  Then  swear  by  the  holy  cross  that  you  will,  if  de- 
tected, never  reveal  the  name  of  Bernardo,  upon  pain 
of  excommunication.  Do  you  swear  ?" 

"I  swear." 

"  Give  me  your  hand,"  said  Bernardo. 

Oh !  it  was  a  fearful  sight  to  behold  those  two  men 
in  that  dim  and  dirty  hovel,  their  features  rendered 
more  ghastly  by  that  flickering  taper,  plotting  murder 
and  death ! 


L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E.  75 

"But  who  is  the  man  I  must  mur "  said  tlglino. 

"  Hush  !  An  American — a  Protestant — one  who  has 
insulted  the  lion  in  his  den — the  Church  of  Rome  in 
Italy,"  answered  Bernardo. 

"  His  name,  and  where  is  he  to  be  found  ?  Where 
there  are  so  many  Americans,  how  can  I  distinguish 
your  rival  ?" 

"  By  his  nohle  bearing.  Ay,  Uglino,  he  carries  him- 
self like  a  king,  and  even  dares  to  pronounce  himself 
one.  His  name  is  Eugene  Saunders,  and  he  is  frequently 
to  be  seen  in  company  with  Frank  Morton.  You  must 
watch  your  opportunity.  I  trust  to  your  shrewdness. 
Remember  whom  you  serve." 

With  this  Father  Bernardo  bade  Uglino  good  night, 
who  followed  him  to  the  door  and  watched  him  until  his 
form  was  lost  in  the  distance.  Once  more  the  dwarf 
sought  the  ante-room,  and  once  more  placed  the  nicker- 
ing taper  upon  the  table.  A  ghastly  smile  lit  his  fea- 
tures, and  again  his  eyes  flashed  with  passion. 

"  Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  This  is  Christianity.  There  was 
a  time  when  I  was  a  devout  and  pious  Catholic  ;  when 
I  counted  my  rosary ;  when  I  prayed  to  the  Virgin 
Mary  and  performed  all  my  sacred  duties.  But  since  I 
met  that  man  I  almost  doubt  the  existence  of  a  God. 
Ha !  ha  !  what  mockery  !  what  rottenness  !  How  he 
prates  of  the  Virgin  Mary  !  I  am  old  and  ugly.  Men 
turn  away  their  heads  when  they  meet  me,  and  even  the 
dogs  bark  at  me  upon  the  highways.  Can  I  keep  a 
secret  ?  Can  Uglino  keep  a  secret  ?  Ay  !  can  he  ? 
Ha!  ha!  he  has  one  locked  within  this  breast  that 
would  damn  the  peace  of  Bernardo.  I'll  keep  it,  too, 
until  I  work  my  revenge.  Babbler !  babbler !  He  has 


76  L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E. 

led  me  into  the  pathway  of  sin  and  destruction.  It  was 
his  influence  that  destroyed  my  only  son.  He  little 
thinks  what  a  volcano  is  slumbering  in  the  bosom  of 
Uglino.  And  he  wants  me  to  commit  murder — mur- 
der ;  and  cast  the  coin  upon  the  table.  I'll  place  it  in 
my  coffer,  where  I  have  stowed  away  enough  to  buy 
this  Bernardo  to  any  crime." 

Having  finished  this  soliloquy,  Uglino  sought  his  hard 
bed,  and  was  soon  reposing  in  slumber. 

It  was  night  in  Florence.  The  streets  were  silent, 
and  a  hush,  as  if  of  the  tomb,  was  over  the  city.  The 
moon-beams  fell  brightly  upon  many  a  marble  column, 
and  gilded  with  brillancy  many  a  towering  dome.  Many 
a  beautiful  Italian  maiden,  who  only  a  few  hours  ago 
was  threading  the  dance,  was  now  folded  sweetly  in 
sleep,  and  many  a  bosom  swelling  with  tumultuous  pas- 
sion was  calmed  by  soft  repose. 

Again  the  sun  rushed  up  in  the  sky ;  flushed  the  east 
with  crimson,  and  touched  the  domes  and  minarets  with 
golden  glories ;  and  once  again  man  rushed  forth  to 
wage  his  puny  war  in  the  great  struggle  of  life.  Uglino 
at  an  early  hour  of  the  morning  was  abroad  in  the 
streets.  He  walked  on  seemingly  unconscious  whither 
his  footsteps  bore  him.  But  Uglino  knew  well  his  mis- 
sion, and  his  quick  eye  noted  every  stranger  whom  he 
met.  Some  paused  and  regarded  him  with  astonish- 
ment, while  others  shrank  from  him  as  if  his  presence 
were  a  pestilence.  All  that  day  he  was  abroad ;  and 
as  the  shades  of  the  evening  began  to  gather,  he  sought 

his  humble  home  in  that  gloomy  street. 

***** 

After  tea  of  the  same  evening,  Simonetta  Pitti  walked 


LILT     WHITE.  77 

forth  into  the  garden  and  sought  her  usual  seat  in  her 
favorite  summer-house.  For  awhile  her  fingers  wan- 
dered softly  over  the  strings  of  her  guitar,  when  at 
length,  tuning  her  voice,  its  melody  floated  away  and 
trembled  sweetly  on  the  evening  air.  It  was  an  hour 
for  love.  A  dark  form  glided  like  a  serpent  into  the 
doorway.  Simonetta  was  not  one  of  those  who  give 
vent  to  their  fear  or  astonishment  in  shrieks.  She 
would  have  fled,  but  Father  Bernardo  caught  her  by 
the  arm  and  gently  forced  her  to  the  seat.  She  trem- 
bled like  a  beautiful  flower  when  rudely  touched  by  the 
passing  gale,  and  shrank  from  his  touch  as  if  she  had 
been  stung  by  the  fang  of  an  adder. 

"Why,  holy  father,  do  you  break  in  upon  a  lady's 
retreat?"  indignantly  said  Simonetta. 

"  Because  I  love  my  daughter,"  said  Bernardo ; 
"and  I  also  ask  why  are  your  evening  and  morning 
prayers  neglected,  and  why  do  you  shun  the  confes- 
sional ?  Have  you  not  heard  the  chime  of  the  vesper 
bells?" 

"Father  Bernardo,  I  have  heard  the  chime  of  the 
bells,  have  counted  my  beads,  and  have  offered  my 
prayers  to  the  Holy  Virgin  Mary." 

"Why,  my  child,"  said  Bernardo,  "do  you  look  so 
coldly  upon  me  ?  Am  I  not  your  father  confessor  ? 
Have  you  not  often  laid  open  to  me  the  secrets  of  your 
young  Heart  ?  Oh !  Simonetta,  I  am  consumed  by  a 
maddening  love.  Why,  oh !  why  will  you  spurn  me 
with  your  coldness  and  your  scorn?" 

Bernardo  could  not  restrain  his  fiery  nature,  and, 
yielding  to  his  ardent  feelings,  he  cast  himself  at  the 
feet  of  Simonetta. 

1 


78  LILY     WHITE. 

"  Father  Bernardo,  arise.  You  have  often  taught  me 
that  we  should  bow  only  to  the  Virgin  Mary,  and  in  the 
worship  of  our  holy  religion.  You  have,  as  my  confes- 
sor, taught  me  to  speak  the  truth  to  you,  and  in  con- 
formity to  that  lesson  I  now  declare  that  I  do  not  love 
you,  and  unless  you  wish  my  hate  you  will  retire." 

At  this  hold  reproof,  Bernardo  felt  ashamed  and  mor- 
tified. Anger  took  the  place  of  mildness,  and,  stung  to 
resentment,  he  regained  his  feet. 

"  Ah !  proud  girl,  you  know  not  against  whom  you 
contend.  Unless  you  repent  of  your  harsh  words,  you 
shall  feel  the  strong  arm  of  Bernardo,  and  it  shall  fall 
with  a  crushing  weight  upon  you  and  yours." 

"  Father,  why  do  you  threaten  a  poor,  defenceless 
girl,  whose  only  transgression  is  that  she  does  not  re- 
turn a  love  which  would  bring  to  her  naught  but  shame, 
sorrow,  and  a  broken  heart.  I  know  your  power,  but, 
in  the  consciousness  of  right,  I  fear  you  not." 

"  Grant  me  but  the  boon  I  crave,  and  with  you  I  will 
seek  an  asylum  in  some  distant  land,  and  in  peace  and 
tranquillity  we  will  spend  our  days." 

"Oh!  never,  never,"  said  Simonetta,  with  flashing 
eye.  "  I  cannot  yield  my  hand,  unless  my  heart  goes 
with  it.  I  do  not — cannot  love  you ;  and  do  not  urge 
me  more." 

"Indeed,  you  seem,"  said  Bernardo,  "to  have  caught 
some  of  the  spirit  that  belongs  to  that  insolent  Ameri- 
can. I  see  it  all.  Ere  you  met  Eugene  Saunders  you 
woald  not  have  talked  thus  boldly  to  your  priest.  But 
know  that  I  will  teach  him  a  lesson  for  his  boldness 
and  impertinence.  And  remember,  haughty  girl,  that 
you  are  responsible  for  any  fate  that  befalls  him." 


LILY      WHIT  E.  79 

"  Why,  Father  Bernardo,  do  you  add  insult  to  injury? 
Do  not  longer  detain  me,  else  I  will  expose  you  by  my 
shrieks — let  me  go." 

Bernardo  had  taken  Simonetta  by  the  arm  to  prevent 
her  flight,  for  with  all  his  fury  he  was  nevertheless  pru- 
dent in  everything  that  regarded  his  own  standing  and 
influence  as  a  priest. 

"Listen  but  one  moment,"  continued  he;  "is  there 
nothing  that  will  induce  you  to  consent  ?  I  did  hope  to 
spare  you,  for  with  one  word  I  can  make  the  blood  run 
cold  to  your  heart,  and  blanch  your  rosy  cheeks.  Would 
you  save  your  father  ?" 

"My  father  is  no  more,"  said  Simonetta. 

"  Ha !  you  think  so,  do  you  ?  Then  know,  proud  wo- 
man, that  your  father  is  alive  even  now,  and  awaits  but 
your  word  to  release  him  from  a  loathsome  dungeon,  in 
which  he  has  lingered  for  years.  It  rests  with  you  to 
save  that  father,  or  this  night  to  seal  his  doom  !  What 
sayest  thou  now  ?" 

"  That  I  will  never  disgrace  the  ancient  and  honor- 
able house  of  Pitti,  much  less  will  I  purchase  even  my 
father's  freedom  with  my  own  infamy  and  shame." 

"Then,  indeed,  the  die  is  cast.  Think  of  what  I 
have  said,  and  repent.  We  will  meet  again.  Good 
night." 

As  soon  as  the  priest  left  the  bower  Simonetta  ran  to 
her  room,  and,  throwing  herself  upon  her  couch,  wept 
bitterly. 

"Oh!"  said  she,  "why  am  I  so  persecuted  and 
haunted  by  this  man  ?  And  oh  !  my  poor,  poor  father 
is  even  at  this  moment  suffering  in  a  dismal  dungeon, 
and  is  at  the  mercy  of  that  cruel  wretch  Bernardo. 


80  LILY     WHITE. 

Maybe,  too,  lie  will  this  night  suffer  a  horrid  death, 
and  yet  by  a  word  I  can  save  him.  What  shall  I  do  ? 
Would  my  poor  father  accept  such  an  offering?  In 
battle  he  was  ever  amid  the  foremost,  and  he  was  as 
generous  as  he  was  brave.  Would  he  live  when  that 
life  is  bought  by  the  shame  of  his  daughter  ?  To  him 
death  would  be  sweeter  by  far  than  to  know  that  a  stain 
rested  upon  his  honor." 

After  calming  her  feelings  she  arose  and  penned  a 
few  hurried  lines.  She  summoned  her  servant  and  or- 
dered her  to  deliver  the  note  according  to  directions. 

Let  us  now  turn  our  attention  once  more  to  Eugene 
Saunders.  He  had  been  spending  the  evening  with 
Frank  Morton,  and  had  not  long  been  seated  in  his  own 
room  at  the  hotel  when  he  heard  a  gentle  tap  at  his  win- 
dow. He  at  first  doubted,  but  in  a  few  moments  it  was 
repeated  somewhat  louder  and  longer.  He  approached 
the  window  and  saw  a  female  form,  closely  veiled,  stand- 
ing in  the  shadow  of  the  building.  He  raised  the  sash 
and  inquired  the  cause  of  this  visit.  The  disguised  form 
made  no  reply,  but  threw  a  paper  into  the  room  and 
then  hastily  withdrew.  Eugene  quickly  broke  the  seal 
and  read  as  follows  :— 

"Signore, 

"Your  life  is  in  danger.  Take  timely  warning  from 
a  stranger,  and  fly — fly,  and  do  not  cease  your  flight  un- 
til you  are  beyond  the  power  of  the  Church  of  Rome ! 
May  the  Virgin  Mary  guard  you. 

"Addio— addio—  "MERCY." 

Eugene  was  a  brave  man.  He  had  never  known  what 
it  was  to  fear,  and  would  face  death  in  any  form  rather 


L  I  L  Y      W  H  I  T  E.  81 

than  leave  a  taint  upon  his  fair  name  or  a  blot  upon  his 
honor.  But  there  was  something  in  the  mysterious 
manner  in  which  that  warning  reached  him,  and  in  the 
silence  of  the  deep  still  night,  that  agitated  him  more 
than  usual.  He  was  far  from  his  native  land,  in  a 
strange  city;  had  brought  upon  himself  the  odium  of 
one  of  the  most  powerful  priests  of  the  Roman  Catholic 
Church,  and  here  was  a  warning  advising  him  of  danger 
which  might  come  upon  him  at  an  unexpected  moment. 
Eugene  soon  determined  upon  his  course  of  conduct. 
He  drew  from  his  trunk  two  Derenger's,  beautifully 
mounted  with  silver,  and  with  great  care  loaded  them. 

"I  will,"  said  he,  "at  least  be  prepared  to  meet  this 
secret  danger  as  becomes  a  man  and  an  American. 
'  Thrice  is  he  armed  who  hath  his  quarrel  just,'  and  I 
will  teach  this  Bernardo  and 


all  the  band 


He  brings  to  aid  his  murderous  hand,' 

that  I  am  not  to  be  frightened  by  idle  warnings  and 
paper  billets." 

While  he  was  thus  soliloquizing  a  man  of  low  stature 
had  been  knocking  at  his  door ;  but  Eugene  was  so  ab- 
sorbed in  thought  that  he  had  not  heard  the  raps.  It 
was  Uglino,  the  dwarf.  With  the  softness  of  the  cat 
he  had  slipped  along  the  streets,  and  Eugene's  room 
being  on  the  ground-floor,  he  had  reached  it  unobserved. 
He  knocked  several  times,  and,  gaining  no  response,  was 
daring  enough  to  enter.  The  reader  must  imagine  Eu- 
gene's horror  when,  having  changed  his  position,  this 
unearthly  apparition  stood  before  him  !  If  he  trembled 
would  you  pronounce  him  a  coward?  Would  you  not 


82  LILY     WHITE. 

have  screamed  in  terror?  Instinctively,  and  as  quick 
as  the  lightning's  flash,  Eugene  leveled  his  pistol  at  his 
head  and  pulled  the  trigger ;  the  cap  bursted  with  a  keen 
report !  It  was  but  the  work  of  an  instant,  and  he  pre- 
sented the  other  full  upon  his  adversary  !  Uglino  stood 
motionless  as  a  marble  statue,  and  his  distorted  features 
gave  no  evidence  of  uneasiness,  much  less  of  fear. 

"  In  the  name  of  God,"  said  Eugene,  still  holding  his 
deadly  weapon  upon  him,  "  who  are  you  ?  what  are  you  ? 
and  what  brings  you  .here  ?" 

"I  am  Uglino,  the  dwarf;  a  man  like  yourself,  and 
one  whom,  it  seems,  you  would  murder  because  God  has 
blighted  his  form." 

"  Are  you  here  through  mistake,  or  is  your  business 
with  me?" 

"  Uglino  never  enters  except  where  business  leads." 

"Name,  then,  your  business,"  said  Eugene. 

"Not  while  you  endanger  my  life,"  answered  the 
dwarf. 

"Can  you  guarantee  mine  if  I  give  you  the  advan- 


"  My  mission  is  one  of  peace,  and  not  of  blood." 

"  How  am  I  to  know  that  ?" 

"  By  what  I  reveal." 

"Then  I  comply,"  said  Eugene;  "but,  sir,  the  least 
suspicious  movement  on  your  part  will  send  a  ball 
through  your  heart." 

"I  have  sufficient  reasons,"  said  Uglino,  "to  believe 
you." 

"  Then  guard  your  actions,  for  I  would  not  have  your 
blood  upon  my  head.  But  enough,  come  forward  and 
be  seated." 


LILY     WHITE.  83 

Uglino,  in  his  peculiar  rolling  gait,  did  as  Eugene 
directed. 

"  To  what  am  I  indebted  for  this  visit  ?"  asked  Eu- 
gene. 

"To  my  wish  to  thwart  a  villain,  and  to  serve  you," 
answered  the  dwarf. 

"How?  in  what  way?" 

"  By  saving  your  life." 

"What  sayest  thou — explain  thyself?" 

"  Knowest  thou  Bernardo  the  priest  ?"  asked  Uglino. 

"  I  do,  sir,  and  doubt  not  his  holiness  will  remember 
me." 

"  Then  hear,"  said  Uglino.  "Bernardo  regards  you 
as  his  foe — his  deadly  foe." 

"I  am  already  advised  of  that  fact,"  broke  in  Eu- 
gene. 

"  He  is  plotting  against  your  life,"  continued  Uglino. 
"  Young  man,  I  am  not  the  wretch  my  form  would  seem 
to  indicate,  and  though  I  have  been  led  deeply  into  error 
under  the  influence  of  superstition  and  the  guidance  of 
an  arch  fiend,  yet  my  eyes  have  been  opened,  and  I  see 
that  I  am  regarded  merely  as  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  the 
wicked  and  the  mean.  I  was  once  happy  and  contented 
— contented  though  the  withering  hand  of  God  is  upon 
me ;  but  through  the  blighting  influence  of  Bernardo, 
that  demon  in  flesh  and  blood,  a  shadow  has  been  cast 
athwart  my  life.  Oh  !  sir,  he  tore  my  darling  boy  from 
my  bosom  for  an  unguarded  speech  of  mine,  and  I  have 
never  seen  him  since.  From  that  time  I  have  never 
known  a  kind  word,  a  gentle  look,  nor  a  sympathizing 
friend.  No  soft  hand  soothes  me  in  affliction,  and  I  am 
alone  in  this  world.  Last  night  the  tempter  again 


84  LILT     WHITE. 

crossed  my  path,  and  with  gold,  shining  gold,  purchased 
my  oath  to  bathe  my  hands  in  human  blood.  Then  it 
was  I  renewed  my  vow  to  thwart  the  scoundrel  and  to 
seek  my  revenge.  Yes,  I  swore  to  take  your  life.  Ber- 
nardo doubts  me  not,  and  is  confident  that  I  will  execute 
his  bloody  design.  This,  young  man,  is  the  object  of  a 
visit  which  came  near  costing  me  my  life."  „ 

"How,"  said  Eugene,  "can  I  thank  you,  sir?  You 
have  my  gratitude — my  deepest  gratitude." 

"  You  owe  me  no  debt  of  gratitude.  It  was  not  so 
much  my  love  for  you,  young  man,  as  it  was  my  hatred 
for  Bernardo,  that  has  prompted  my  actions." 

"  It  matters  not,"  said  Eugene,  "  what  prompted  you, 
so  that  you  have  warned  me  of  my  danger.  I  am  thank- 
ful, and  deeply  sympathize  with  you  in  your  misfortunes, 
and  my  heart  and  hand  are  ready  to  serve  you  in  your 
trials.  Did  Bernardo  mention  to  you  the  name  of 
Simonetta  Pitti  ?" 

"He  did,"  answered  the  dwarf;  "he  loves  her,  but 
oh !  such  love  !  Ha !  ha !  Bernardo  love !  It  would, 
like  a  simoon,  blast  and  wither  every  fair  hope  ;  it 
would  blight  the  heart,  and  clothe  the  soul  in  a  deeper 
gloom  than  a  starless  midnight.  Ah  !  that  man's  deeds, 
could  they  be  revealed,  would  darken  the  beauty  of 
Christianity,  and  before  them  virtue,  modesty,  and  piety 
would  shrink  abashed.  I  know  his  secrets,  his  comings 
and  his  goings.  I  am  the  keeper  of  the  prisons,  and 
could  unfold  a  tale  that  would  startle  htiman  nature. 
Bernardo  means  no  good  to  Simonetta  Pitti.  She 
thinks  her  father  dead :  last  night  I  saw  him  chained, 
like  a  felon,  in  a  dungeon,  where  no  sunbeam  ever 
gleamed.  Through  the  father  he  intends  to  work  upon 


LILT     WHITE.  85 

the  daughter.  I  trust  this  to  your  honor ;  tell  it,  and 
you  betray  one  who,  at  least,  has  done  you  no  harm." 

"You  need  have  no  fears  of  my  betraying  you,"  said 
Eugene.  "  I  am  touched  by  what  you  have  told  me, 
and  believe  that  you  are  an  ill-used  man.  From  my 
heart  I  pity  that  old  man  whom  you  say  is  confined  in 
that  dark  and  dismal  dungeon ;  and  I  also  pity  you,  my 
friend,  for  the  loss  of  your  darling  child.  Oh !  sir,  if 
I  could  but  see  those  gloomy  prisons,  and  especially 
Simonetta's  father,  and  ofier  him  my  sympathy,  it  would 
be  to  me  a  very  great  pleasure." 

These  kind  words  opened  in  old  Uglino's  heart  a 
fountain  which  sorrow,  neglect,  and  sin,  had  almost 
dried  up  and  destroyed.  Many  a  weary  day  and  many 
a  dreary  year  had  flown  away  since  he  had  known  a 
kind  word.  To  him  life  was  one  dark  day,  without  a 
smile  to  cheer  or  a  ray  of  hope  to  gladden  its  gathering 
gloom.  In  his  wisdom  God  had  touched  his  form,  and 
sorrow  had  made  his  heart  what  it  was.  It  is  a  sad, 
sad  lot,  to  be  alone  in  this  world,  without  friends,  with- 
out comfort,  and  without  sympathy,  and  ever  conscious 
that  our  presence  brings  naught  but  pain,  disgust,  and 
loathing.  Neglect  with  its  icy  hand  drives  many  a  man 
into  the  whirlpool  of  dissipation,  and  wrecks  many  a 
noble  soul  upon  the  barren  shore  of  despair.  The  proud- 
est intellects  fall  beneath  its  influence.  The  poet's 
laurel-wreath  may  be  glowing  in  beauty  while  his  heart 
may  be  darkened  by  sorrow.  Neglect  dims  the  eye  of 
the  orator  and  destroys  the  power  of  a  voice  that  once 
could  thrill  thousands  by  its  divine  melody.  It  withers 
the  vigor  and  loveliness  of  manhood,  crushes  the  proudest 
aspirations,  blights  like  the  frosts  of  winter  all  the  beau- 


86  LILY     WHITE. 

teous  flowers  of  the  heart,  and  hastens  its  victims  to  a 
grave  not  half  so  black  as  the  darkness  that  reigns  with- 
in his  own  hosom. 

Uglino  had  been  neglected.  In  his  soul  no  lovely 
flowers  sprang  forth ;  but,  on  the  contrary,  everything 
that  was  fair  and  beautiful  shrank  from  his  touch. 
When  Eugene  finished  his  sentence,  Uglino's  eyes 
sparkled,  but  under  different  emotions  than  usual. 

The  image  of  his  lost  boy  was  before  him  reaching 
out  his  young  arms  through  the  mist  of  tears  that  was 
gathering  before  the  father,  and  tender  words  had  fallen 
upon  his  ear  and  awoke  afresh  the  sweet  memories  of 
other  days. 

Why  it  is  that  some  men  seem  to  carry  with  them  a 
spell,  by  which  all  are  naturally  drawn  to  them  in  kind- 
ness and  love,  is  a  mystery  which  philosophers  have  not 
solved ;  but  the  fact  is  undeniably  true.  We  all  have 
felt  its  influence.  We  all  have  met  with  persons  whom 
we  have  regarded  with  distrust  from  the  first  sight; 
and,  on  the  contrary,  we  have  mingled  with  others  whom 
we  have  instantly  looked  upon  with  respect.  To  this 
latter  class  belonged  Eugene  Saunders.  • 

For  some  minutes  Eugene  and  Uglino  sat  facing 
each  other  in  silence,  and  a  strange  and  striking  con- 
trast they  presented.  Eugene  was  young,  vigor- 
ous, and  handsome ;  Uglino,  old,  ugly,  and  deformed ; 
but  a  bond  of  amity  had  already  united  their  better 
natures. 

"  It  shall  be  as  you  wish,"  said  Uglino,  breaking  the 
silence ;  "  you  shall  be  gratified,  though  Uglino  suffers 
for  the  deed."- 

"  What  do  you  mean  ?"  asked  Eugene, 


LILY     WHITE.  87 

"You  expressed  a  desire  to  visit  the  dungeon  in 
which  Lorenzino  Pitti  is  confined,"  answered  the  dwarf. 

"  I  did,"  said  Eugene. 

"  Then  meet  me,"  said  Uglino,  "to-morrow  night,  be- 
neath the  shadow  of  the  middle  bridge  of  the  Arno.  But, 
young  man,  there  is  danger  in  the  attempt,  for  if  we  are 
discovered  we  may  never  see  the  light  of  another  day." 

"I  will  risk  the  danger,"  said  Eugene.  "At  what 
hour  shall  I  meet  you  ?" 

"When  the  convent  bell  strikes  one,"  answered  the 
dwarf. 

Uglino  departed,  and  Eugene  was  left  alone. 

Although  the  night  was  far  advanced,  yet  he  sought 
not  his  pillow,  but  throwing  himself  into  his  chair  medi- 
tated upon  the  events  of  the  evening.  He  thought  upon 
the  note  he  had  received,  and  the  mysterious  manner  of 
its  delivery.  At  moments  he  felt  grateful  to  Uglino ; 
at  the  next,  he  almost  doubted  his  sincerity,  and  would 
persuade  himself  that  all  the  dwarf  had  told  him  was  an 
artful  fabrication,  to  throw  him  off  his  guard  and  to  en- 
tice him  into  danger.  The  longer  he  dwelt  upon  it,  the 
more  he  doubted.  Why  did  he  appoint  the  brink  of  the 
river  as  the  place  of  meeting,  and  that,  too,  at  the  hour 
of  one.  Eugene  did  not  like  the  appearance  of  things. 
Uglino  might  be  true,  but  he  knew  what  a  potent  in- 
fluence the  priesthood  exerted  over  the  peasantry,  and 
how  artful  they  were  in  their  designs,  and  how  unscru- 
pulous in  their  actions,  and  it  made  him  restless  and 
uneasy.  With  all  these  thoughts  crowding  upon  him,  and 
with  a  fevered  and  disturbed  mind,  he  finally  sought  his 
couch.  In  a  few  moments  an  indistinct  glimmering 
vision  of  all  his  previous  life  passed  before  him  in  review, 


88  LILYWHITE. 

and  as  he  sunk  still  deeper  into  sleep  he  saw  the  fea- 
tures of  Uglino  peering  out  from  the  darkness.  It  was 
late  the  next  morning  before  Eugene  awoke.  What  he 
had  heard  and  seen  on  the  previous  night  seemed  now 
the  offspring  of  a  troubled  dream.  During  the  greater 
part  of  the  day  he  kept  his  room,  and  consumed  the 
time  in  writing  to  his  friends  at  home. 

******** 

Again  it  was  night  in  Florence.  The  deep-toned  con- 
vent bell  struck  the  hour  of  twelve,  and  its  mellow  tones 
trembled  on  the  air  and  awoke  the  echoes  amid  the  dis- 
tant hills. 

Eugene  Saunders  was  alone  in  his  room.  Like  a 
caged  lion  he  paced  to  and  fro.  His  trusty  pistols 
were  lying  upon  the  table.  Now  he  paused  and  ex- 
amined them,  and  again  walked  his  room.  At  length 
the  hour  slowly  passed  away,  and  Eugene  set  forth  to 
meet  Uglino  the  dwarf,  beneath  the  shadow  of  the  mid- 
dle bridge  that  spans  the  beautiful  Arno.  The  wind 
was  from  the  south,  and  the  scattered  clouds  flew  ra- 
pidly overhead,  while  ever  and  anon  there  came  a  flash 
of  lightning,  followed  by  the  low  rumbling  of  distant 
thunder.  At  one  moment  the  moon  hid  her  smiling 
face  behind  some  angry  cloud ;  at  the  next  she  flooded 
all  the  scene  with  light  from  her  silver  urn.  No  human 
form,  save  Eugene's,  darkened  the  streets.  In  the  pride 
and  vigor  of  manhood,  he  pursued  his  course  toward  the 
Arno.  He  approached  the  shadow  of  the  bridge  with 
caution,  mingled  with  some  degree  of  excitement.  As 
he  passed  by  a  huge  stone  which  had  been  cast  aside  in 
the  erection  of  the  bridge,  he  heard  a  rustle,  and,  lo ! 
Uglino  stood  by  his  side  ! 


LILY     WHITE.  89 

"  You  are  here,"  said  the  dwarf,  in  a  whisper. 

"I  never  break  my  word,"  answered  Eugene. 

"I  saw,"  said  Uglino,  "that  you  started  when  you 
beheld  me.  You  need  not  doubt  me,  young  man  ;  Uglino 
never  deceived  but. one  man,  and  that  one,  Bernardo." 

"I  must  confess,"  replied  Eugene,  "that  the  ap- 
pointment of  this  place,  upon  consideration,  did  not 
please  me  much;  but  I  was  determined  to  test  your 
fidelity." 

"  I  did  not  select  this  point  without  a  reason.  I  am 
watched  with  an  eagle's  eye,  and  by  selecting  the  most 
out-of-the-way  place  I  could  the  better  avoid  the  possi- 
bility of  detection.  But,  sir,  the  night  grows  apace, 
and  unless  we  hasten  yonder  cloud  will  overtake  us  in 
its  wrath.  I  have  provided  for  the  occasion.  See ! 
here  is  the  robe  and  cowl  of  a  priest,  which  you  must 
adopt." 

Eugene,  without  hesitation,  put  on  the  garments,  and 
being  completely  disguised  was  examined  by  the  dwarf. 

"That  will  do,"  he  said.  "If  Bernardo  himself 
should  meet  you  he  would  think  you  were  his  ghost,  so 
much  do  you  resemble  him.  Now  let  us  go." 

With  this  they  hastened  away  to  the  execution  of 
their  dangerous  experiment.  Eugene  followed  close 
upon  the  heels  of  Uglino.  They  had  not  proceeded  far 
when  Uglino  paused,  and,  turning  upon  his  companion, 
said : — 

"Now  remember,  young  man,  that  all  depends  upon 
caution  and  prudence.  Speak  not  above  your  breath, 
and  follow  me." 

By  this  time  Eugene  could  scarcely  see  the  form  of 


90  LILY     WHITE. 

Uglino,  but  amid  the  darkness  he  felt  that  those  two 
glittering  eyes  were  fixed  upon  him.  The  whole  heavens 
were  now  overcast,  and  in  quick  succession  came  flash 
on  flash  and  peal  on  peal.  At  one  moment  the  distant 
mountains  were  all  aglow  as  if  on  fire,  and  at  the  next 
were  wrapt  in  gloom.  Now  a  zig-zag  chain  like  a  fiery 
serpent  darted  along  the  bosom  of  the  storm-cloud,  and 
disappearing  left  only  a  quivering  glimmer  of  its  bril- 
liant track  athwart  the  sky.  Before  them  loomed  up 
the  grand  old  prison-walls,  and  its  dim  outlines,  seen 
through  the  darkness,  seemed  of  gigantic  proportions. 
Through  a  small  gate  they  cautiously  entered  the  outer 
court.  They  approached  a  lofty  archway,  and  Uglino 
taking  from  his  girdle  a  huge  bunch  of  keys  applied  one 
to  the  lock.  The  door  swung  open.  They  moved  a  few 
paces  within  and  were  enveloped  in  a  darkness  like  that 
of  the  tomb.  Uglino  whispered  to  Eugene  to  pause, 
and  in  an  instant  a  blue  flame  cast  its  lurid  glare  over 
the  scene.  Holding  his  dark  lantern  Uglino  walked  in 
front,  and  seemed  quite  familiar  with  the  location.  From 
within  they  could  hear  the  storm,  now  at  its  height,  rag- 
ing in  its  fury.  With  each  heavy  peal  of  thunder  that 
gigantic  structure  trembled  to  its  foundation.  Passing 
on,  they  came  to  a  narrow  passage  that  led  to  the  other 
extremity  of  the  building.  Uglino  paused,  and,  bend- 
ing his  head  forward,  listened  for  some  moments,  and 
then,  applying  another  key  to  a  heavy  door,  ushered 
Eugene  into  a  dismal  labyrinth.  Making  about  a  dozen 
steps,  Uglino  once  more  paused. 

"Now,"  said  the  dwarf,  in  a  whisper,  "I  shall  need 
your  assistance." 


LILY      WHITE;  9t 

He  touched  what  Eugene  considered  a  panel  in  the 
wall,  and  a  sound  issued  forth  like  the  click-click  of  a 
gun  when  suddenly  cocked. 

"Now  push,"  said  Uglino. 

The  panel,  yielding  to  the  force  of  those  two  men, 
swung  open,  exhibiting  to  Eugene  a  large  and  splendid 
room  adorned  and  decorated  with  great  taste  and  mag- 
nificence. Splendid  paintings  hung  from  the  walls,  and 
the  fresco-work  was  most  gorgeous  seen  by  the  glimmer- 
ing light  of  the  dwarfs  lamp.  Eugene  thought  he  had 
never  before  beheld  such  an  imposing  scene. 

Uglino  drew  near  to  one  of  those  paintings,  which 
hung  lower  than  the  rest,  and  touching  a  secret  spring 
it  glided  suddenly  back,  revealing  a  midnight  darkness 
within ;  and  when  Eugene  saw  the  dwarf  lean  forward 
and  flash  his  lamp  around  he  felt  a  feeling  of  awe  and 
dread  steal  over  him. 

"Come,  come,"  said  Uglino,  "we  must  descend. 
Look  down,  and  see  if  you  can  proceed !" 

As  Eugene  leaned  his  body  through  the  arched  aper- 
ture Uglino  turned  his  lamp  in  such  a  manner  as  to 
throw  the  light  down  in  the  direction  in  which  Eugene 
bent  his  eyes.  Far  below — down,  down,  down — all  was 
blackness,  and  Eugene  drew  back,  pale  and  trembling, 
as  if  his  soul  had  perished  with  that  look. 

"If  you  would  see  the  prisons  you  must  descend," 
said  Uglino. 

"Is  there  no  way  to  avoid  this  chasm?"  asked  Eu- 
gene. 

"None,"  Uglino  responded. 

"  Then  I  am  ready." 

They  crept  through  the  aperture  and  began  the  de- 


92  LILY     WHITE. 

scent.  Uglino  was  closely  followed  by  Eugene.  The 
stairway  was  almost  perpendicular.  On  reaching  the 
bottom  Eugene  found  himself  in  a  narrow  passage  about 
eight  feet  wide.  On  either  side  were  doors  lined  with 
iron  and  bolted  through  and  through. 

When  we  would  portray  the  horrors  that  burst  upon 
Eugene  Saunders  in  those  dismal  dungeons,  language 
fails  and  fancy  falters.  He  had  often  read  of  the  cruel- 
ties of  the  Romish  Church:  how  the  victim  was  tor- 
tured, how  the  skin  was  torn  from  the  flesh,  the  flesh 
from  the  bones,  and  the  bones  left  to  moulder  on  the 
damp  floor ;  how  virgins  were  deprived  by  force  of  that 
which  to  them  is  dearer  than  life,  and  how  the  strong 
man  wasted  away  beneath  heavy  chains  and  long  con- 
finement ;  but,  like  many  others,  he  attributed  much  of 
such  stories  to  religious  prejudice  or  to  a  spirit  of  per- 
secution. This  night  opened  to  his  eyes  those  horrid 
truths  that  blacken  the  name  of  Catholicism  and  make 
it  the  dreaded  machine  of  power  in  every  country  where 
it  exists.  Eugene  Saunders  was  one  of  those  men  who 
in  the  heat  of  battle  would  have  stood  in  the  foremost 
ranks,  and  who,  with  sympathy  in  his  heart  but  with  no 
tear  in  his  eye,  would  have  laid  his  fallen  comrade  be- 
neath the  rich  loam  "  to  sleep  his  last  sleep  ;" 

"  For  fame  is  there  to  say  who  bleeds, 
And  honor's  eye  on  daring  deeds ;" 

but  to  look  upon  cold-blooded  murder, — committed  deep 
down  beneath  the  earth,  where  no  groan,  no  cry  for 
mercy,  and  no  wail  of  despair  could  reach  the  upper  air  ; 
to  behold  the  form  of  beauty  chained  naked  to  the  cold, 
cold  stone ;  to  see  old  age  with  hoary  locks  groaning 


LILY     WHITE.  93 

from  want  and  hunger ;  to  contemplate  human  suffering 
in  every  shape  and  degree  that  ingenuity  could  produce  ; 
to  hear  the  stifled  sigh,  the  half-uttered  prayer,  the  deep- 
drawn  groan,  the  piercing  shriek,  mingled  with  awful 
oaths  and  the  fearful  clanking  of  chains, — paled  the  cheek 
of  Eugene  and  sent  the  blood  to  his  heart. 

We  tremble  over  the  revelations  of  Gavazzi,  and  the 
very  soul  grows  sick  over  the  licentious  villainies  of  the 
priesthood  narrated  by  Anthony  Gavin ;  but  what  Eu- 
gene Saunders  that  night  saw  surpasses  anything  related 
by  those  high  authorities.  They  passed  from  cell  to  cell. 
Here  were  bones  from  which  the  flesh  had  long  since 
fallen  into  decay  still  bearing  the  heavy  manacles  ;  here 
was  the  strong  man  lying  upon  his  back,  with  his  limbs 
stretched  in  unnatural  positions,  chained  to  the  floor ;  in 
this  cell  the  poor  victim  was  dying,  in  that  one  death 
had  already  claimed  its  prey ;  in  this  cell  was  a  mass  of 
corruption,  in  that  one  a  poor  creature  deprived  of  his 


"  Hide  it  up,  hide  it  up  ;  draw  the  decent  curtain : 
Hence !  curious  fool,  and  pry  not  on  corruption." 

At  length  they  reached  another  cell,  before  which 
they  stopped,  and,  Uglino  having  opened  the  ponderous 
door,  they  entered.  Eugene  heard  the  clanking  of 
chains,  and,  aided  by  the  dim  light  of  the  lamp,  beheld 
a  sight  that  made  his  blood  run  cold.  On  a  pallet  of 
straw  in  the  farthest  corner  of  the  dungeon  was  an  aged 
man,  his  white  locks  streaming  over  his  shoulders  and 
his  countenance  pale  from  suffering  and  imprisonment. 
He  was  in  a  half- recumbent  position.  Oh !  it  was  a 
cold,  cheerless,  dismal  place  !  A  rough  table,  a  wooden- 
8* 


94  LILT     WHITE. 

bottom  chair,  and  an  earthen  vessel  to  hold  water  for 
the  old  man,  were  all  the  articles  of  furniture  belonging 
to  the  cell.  Though  the  old  man's  frame  had  once  been 
robust  yet  it  was  now  shriveled  and  emaciated,  and  upon 
every  feature  was  stamped  the  mark  of  despair  and  des- 
peration. 

"  Why  do  you  now  interrupt  me?"  the  old  man  said. 
"  Is  it  not  enough  to  bind  me  here  in  chains,  without 
coming  to  heap  insult  on  injury  and  wrong  on  wrong  ? 
Ha  !  ha  !  Bernardo — thou  dog,  thou  carping  hypocrite  ; 
priest  without  a  conscience  and  villain  without  a  princi- 
ple, what  would  you  now  ?  Bring  your  rack,  bring  your 
machines  of  torture ;  I  am  ready,  ready ;  you  have  done 
your  worst!" 

"We  come  upon  an  errand  of  mercy,"  said  Eugene. 

"Mercy!  mercy!  Pratest  thou  of  mercy  who  hast 
never  known  aught  but  revenge  ?  I  ask  not  thy  mercy. 
Give  me  back  my  liberty,  the  long  years  of  suffering 
and  woe  I  have  passed  within  this  horrid  hole.  Restore 
to  me  the  health  you  have  destroyed,  the  reputation  you 
have  soiled,  and  the  hopes  you  have  blasted.  Bring 
activity  to  these  limbs,  change  these  locks  that  have 
whitened  in  this  cold  and  dreary  place,  and  give  me  back 
my  wife,  my  child.  Oh!  Bernardo,  thou  canst  not; 
then  prate  no  more  of  mercy." 

"  These  are  bold  words,"  Eugene  said. 

"Ay!  but  not  half  so  bold  as  the  vile  principle 
which  brings  you  here  at  this  late  hour.  Not  satisfied 
with  the  ruin  which  you  have  already  wrought,  you  would 
now  blight  the  flower  of  my  house  and  leave  behind 
naught  but  shame  and  sorrow.  Oh !  vile  man,  leave 
me,  leave  me  to  the  darkness  and  despair." 


-       LILY      WHITE.  95 

•  -  *    •    i  """ 

u  Old  man,  will  you  not  listen  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"Already  have  I  listened  too  long  to  your  cantings. 
Once  for  all  hear  me.  I  am  prepared  to  die,  for  never, 
never,  so  help  me  God,  will  I  accept  my  liberty  at  the 
price  of  innocence  and  virtue." 

Uglino  had  withdrawn  to  the  corner  of  the  prison, 
while  Eugene  remained  standing,  during  this  conversa- 
tion, near  the  humble  bed  of  the  aged  prisoner,  who,  in 
his  excitement,  had  raised  himself  to  a  sitting  posture. 

Having  removed  the  cowl  Eugene  stood  before  the  old 
man. 

"  Ha  !  a  stranger  !"  said  he,  in  astonishment.  "  AVhat 
brings  you  here  ?" 

"  Hearing  of  your  misfortunes  and  sufferings  through 
my  friend  Uglino,  I  prevailed  upon  him  to  conduct  me 
hither  that  I  might  offer  to  you  the  sympathy  of  a 
stranger,  and  that  I  might  inform  you  that  your  daugh- 
ter  " 

"  You  know  her,  then  ?"  interrupted  the  old  man. 

"  I  do,"  continued  Eugene  ;  "  and  have  reason  to  be- 
lieve that  she  has  been  instrumental  in  saving  my  life ; 
therefore  I  was  determined  to  brave  all  dangers  in  order 
to  minister  to  the  ease  and  comfort  of  her  father." 

"From  the  manner  in  which  you  speak  Italian  I 
judge  you  to  be  a  foreigner." 

"  I  am  an  American,  and  have  incurred  the  hostility 
'of  Bernardo  the  priest." 

"  Young  man,  you  are  rash.  You  brave  the  lion  in 
his  den.  If  Bernardo  is  your  enemy  you  have  a  ser- 
pent on  your  pathway,  so  beware.  Oh !  it  makes  my 
soul  glad  to  learn  that  my  noble,  generous,  and  beau- 
tiful Simonetta  is  well.  When  last  I  saw  her  she  was  a 


90  L  I  L  Y     WHIT  E. 

merry  child,  and  many  has  been  the  time  that  she  has 
encircled  this  old  neck  with  her  delicate  arms  and  poured 
warm  and  burning  kisses  upon  these  withered  cheeks.  I 
loved  that  child ;  to  me  she  was  everything ;  but  in  an 
evil  hour,  and  by  an  evil  man,  I  was  torn  from  her  lov- 
ing embrace  and  plunged  into  chains  and  this  gloomy 
prison.  Ah  !  sir,  often,  while  lying  here  cold  and  sick, 
with  no  fire  to  warm  these  aching  limbs,  with  no  smiles 
to  light  my  breaking  heart,  with  no  sympathy  to  make 
life's  ending  sweet,  have  I  longed  to  see  her  sylph-like 
form  bending  in  kindness  and  love  over  my  decaying 
body,  to  listen  to  her  gentle  words  and  to  feel  her  soft 
hand  pressed  in  tenderness  upon  my  burning  brow.  I 
have  seen  her  in  my  dreams  as  she  looked  long,  long 
ago,  but  she  is  a  woman  now,  and  my  heart  tells  me  she 
is  fair  and  beautiful.  She  little  dreams  her  father  is 
still  living  in  agony  and  chains.  Oh !  good,  kind  sir, 
you  are  a  guardian  angel,  sent  by  God  to  the  distressed 
and  broken-hearted.  Fly,  oh  !  fly  to  my  daughter,  and 
tell  her  that  her  father's  dying  words  were,  beware  of 
Bernardo." 

The  old  man  could  bear  no  more.  He  heavily  sunk 
upon  his  bed  of  straw.  He  moved  not  a  limb,  and  laid 
so  still  and  silent  that  Eugene  and  Uglino  rushed  to 
him,  and,  to  their  astonishment,  discovered  that  he  was 
dead.  Death  is  ever  a  solemn  thing,  meet  it  as  we  may ; 
but  here  in  this  lonely  cell,  amid  the  fumes  of  dampness,- 
corruption,  and  filth ;  amid  iron  bolts,  cold  and  cheer- 
less walls,  and  the  clanking  of  chains,  it  was  fearful  to 
behold.  That  form  lay  there  a  stiff  cold  thing  of  clay, 
bound  in  the  chains  of  man  and  fettered  in  the  shackles 
of  the  grim  monster  death  !  Feeble  man  bound  the 


L  I  L  Y      W  H  I  T  E.  97 

body,  but  the  deathless  spirit,  unchecked  by  prison  walls 
and  galling  fetters,  had  ascended  to  the  throne  of  Him 
who  judgeth  the  just  and  the  unjust.  Bernardo  might 
apply  the  tortures  now,  for  the  God  of  justice  had  re- 
moved the  soul,  and  nothing  was  left  but  what  was  food 
for  the  cruel  worms  ! 

Eugene  and  the  dwarf  gazed  in  silence  upon  the  form 
before  them,  until  at  length  Uglino  said, — 

"  Well,  it  is  all  over  now,  and  another  victim  has  es- 
caped that  black-hearted  man.  We  can  do  no  more 
here  ;  let  us  depart." 

They  left  the  body  lying  as  it  had  fallen,  and  retraced 
their  steps  to  the  open  air.  The  storm  had  to  a  great 
extent  abated,  and  the  moon  was  riding  high  above  the 
turrets  of  the  prison.  Eugene  bade  Uglino  good-night, 
and  each,  to  avoid  detection,  took  a  different  route  and 
sought  his  respective  home :  Uglino  to  meditate  revenge 
against  Bernardo,  and  Eugene  to  think  over  the  mise- 
ries he  had  seen. 

The  next  morning  Eugene  visited  his  friend  Frank 
Morton,  whom  he  found  busy  with  his  pencil,  and  to 
whom  he  related  all  that  had  occurred  on  the  previous 
evening. 

"It  is  somewhat  strange,"  said  Frank,  "that  here  I 
have  been  for  two  long  years  and  have  been  totally  igno- 
rant that  beneath  the  smooth  surface  of  society  there 
exist  so  much  misery  and  tyranny.  Can  it  be  possible 
that  you  have  been  within  those  awful  walls  and  have 
beheld  Avith  your  own  eyes  what  you  have  narrated  ?" 

"It  is  as  true  as  I  am  alive,"  replied  Eugene;  "but 
come,  tell  me  what  I  am  to  do.  If  I  remain  here  I  must 
either  kill  or  be  killed." 


98  L  I  L  Y     W  II  I  T  E. 

H 

"  I  shall  be  sorry  to  part  with  you,  Eugene,  but  I 
think  it  prudent  that  you  should  leave  Florence  for 
awhile." 

Having  consumed  the  morning  in  pleasant  conversa- 
tion, Eugene  returned  to  his  room  to  make  preparations 
for  his  departure.  After  tea  he  resolved  to  pay  one 
more  visit  to  Simonetta  Pitti  and  bid  her  farewell.  He 
found  her  low-spirited  and  sorrowful,  and  with  traces  of 
tears  upon  her  cheeks.  He  spoke  to  her  in  a  light  and 
jesting  manner,  but  the  more  he  strove  to  restore  her  to 
gayety  and  smiles  the  deeper  seemed  the  gloom  that  set- 
tled over  her  noble  brow,  and  it  was  quite  evident  to 
Eugene  that  some  deep  and  gnawing  sorrow  was  work- 
ing at  her  heart. 

"Oh!  signore,"  she  said,  after  some  moments  of 
silence,  in  which  she  appeared  to  be  striving  with  her 
feelings  for  victory,  "  you  cannot  imagine  what  I  have 
suffered  since  I  saw  you  last." 

"What  is  there,"  asked  Eugene,  "to  mar  the  peace 
and  happiness  of  one  so  good  and  pure  ?" 

We  deem  it  of  very  little  importance  to  narrate  all 
that  passed  between  Eugene  and  Simonetta  during  this 
conversation.  We  will  mention,  however,  that  she  in- 
formed Eugene  how  Bernardo  had  threatened  her  with 
the  death  of  her  father,  how  he  had  uttered  bitter  words 
against  Eugene  himself,  and  how  she  had  suffered  from 
them  both.  Eugene,  in  turn,  told  her  that  her  father 
was  no  more,  that  he  had  seen  his  eyes  closed  in  death, 
that  his  dying  words  to  her  were — "  beware  of  Ber- 
nardo." 

Upon  hearing  of  her  father's  death  Simonetta  was 
sorely  grieved.  She  had  never  mentioned  the  subject 


LILY     WHITE. 

- 

to  her  mother,  for  she  feared  that  by  so  doing  she  might 
awaken  new  hopes  only  to  be  blighted,  and  open  afresh 
wounds  long  since  healed  and  almost  forgotten.  From 
her  heart  she  thanked  Eugene  for  his  kindness  and  dis- 
interested friendship,  and  when  she  learned  that  he  was 
going  to  leave  Florence,  perhaps  never  to  return,  she 
could  no  longer  restrain  her  warm  nature,  but  cast  her- 
self upon  his  manly  bosom  and,  like  a  child,  wept. 
What  feelings  must  have  swept  through  his  breast  when 
he  beheld  those  dark  eyes  bathed  in  tears  upturned  to 
his,  and  felt  her  breath,  sweet  as  the  perfume  of  flowers, 
upon  his  cheek  !  It  was  a  spell  from  which  he  felt  that 
he  must  extricate  himself.  He  gently  led  her  to  the 
window  and  begged  her  not  to  think  of  him,  a  wanderer 
in  a  strange  land,  surrounded  by  enemies,  and  over 
whose  pathway  hovered  naught  but  misfortune  and  sor- 
row. He  promised  never  to  forget  her,  and  bade  her  an 
affectionate  farewell.  When  Eugene  left  the  parlor 
Simonetta  buried  her  face  in  her  hands  and  gave  vent 
to  her  feelings  in  tears.  The  moon  had  just  arisen,  and 
Simonetta,  watching  the  retreating  form  of  Eugene,  saw 
him  turn  once  more  towards  his  favorite  stroll  along  the 
Arno. 

The  banks  of  the  river  were  lined  with  beautiful  olive- 
groves,  and  Eugene  had  not  proceeded  far  when  he 
thought  he  beheld  a  dark  object  moving  in  the  distance. 
He  paused  to  satisfy  himself,  and,  thinking  that  he  was 
mistaken,  renewed  his  walk  in  the  same  direction  in 
which  he  saw  the  object.  About  sixty  yards  ahead  of 
him  was  a  thick  cluster  of  olives,  and  by  the  time  Eu- 
gene reached  this  point  he  was  so  absorbed  in  thought 
that  he  was  unmindful  of  everything  about  him.  He 


100  LILY      WHITE. 

*         - 

•was  moving  slowly  along,  with  his  head  down,  when  he 
heard  a  rustle  among  the  leaves,  and,  lo  !  a  man  leaped 
forth  upon  him  like  a  tiger  from  the  jungle,  and  his 
dagger  gleamed  brightly  in  the  moonlight.  Eugene 
darted  forward  like  an  arrow  and  escaped  the  blow. 
His  antagonist  rushed  fiercely  upon  him  to  renew  the 
stroke,  and  wounded  Eugene  slightly  in  the  arm.  In  an 
instant  Eugene  leveled  his  pistol  at  his  foe  and  fired. 
Its  clear  report  rung  out  on  the  still  night-air,  and  Ber- 
nardo the  priest  fell  with  a  groan  to  the  earth.  It 
seemed  to  Eugene  that  the  sound  of  that  pistol-shot 
would  never  die  away.  It  rolled  along  the  smooth  sur- 
face of  the  river  and  was  echoed  back  from  the  distant 
hills.  Then  the  dogs  awoke  and  made  the  night  hideous 
with  their  yells  and  howls. 

Simonetta  was  still  standing  by  the  window  when  the 
pistol  was  fired,  and,  when  the  report  reached  her  ears, 
fled  in  terror  to  her  room,  for  something  whispered  to 
her  that  death  was  near  the  palace  gate. 

Eugene  coolly  replaced  his  weapon,  and  knowing  that 
the  sound  of  fire-arms  was  so  unusual  in  the  city,  and 
fearing  that  he  might  be  detected  by  persons  coming  to 
investigate  the  cause,  hastened  from  the  scene  and 
sought  the  room  of  Frank  Morton. 

They  deemed  immediate  flight  both  wise  and  prudent, 
and  Frank  despatched  his  servant  to  Eugene's  room  for 
his  trunk.  In  three  hours  all  the  necessary  arrange- 
ments were  made,  Eugene  having  that  day  fortunately 
purchased  him  a  horse.  Frank's  servant  was  to  meet 
him  without  the  city,  therefore,  having  packed  what 
clothes  he  wanted,  he  bade  Frank  farewell  and  took  his 
departure  from  Florence,  with  sorrow  in  his  heart  and 
blood  upon  his  hand. 


LILY     WHITE.  101 


CHAPTER  X. 

There  is  a  glorious  city  in  the  sea. 

The  sea  is  in  the  broad  the  narrow  streets, 

Ebbing  and  flowing  ;  and  the  salt  sea-weed 

Clings  to  the  marble  of  her  palaces. 

No  track  of  men — no  footsteps  to  and  fro 

Lead  to  her  gates.     The  path  lies  o'er  the  sea, 

Invisible  ;  and  from  the  land  we  went, 

As  to  a  floating  city — steering  in, 

And  gliding  up  her  streets  as  in  a  dream, 

So  smoothly,  silently — by  many  a  dome 

Mosque -like,  and  many  a  stately  portico, 

The  statues  ranged  along  an  azure  sky ; 

By  many  a  pift  in  more  than  Eastern  splendor, 

Of  old  the  residence  of  merchant  kings ; 

The  fronts  of  some,  though  time  had  shattered  them,    .    *"&A 

Still  glowing  with  the  richest  hues  of  art, 

As  though  the  wealth  within  them  had  run  o'er. 

ROGERS. 

BEFOKE  entering  into  the  details  of  this  chapter  it 
may  not  be  amiss  to  present  a  few  remarks  upon  Venice 
and  its  location,  that  the  reader  may  comprehend  more 
clearly  the  incidents  mentioned  in  the  following  pages. 
The  origin  of  the  Venetian  Republic  must  be  dated  before 
the  beginning  of  modern  history.  Its  downfall  fills  the 
darkest  pages  of  the  later  annalists.  The  Venetian 
power  was  located  at  Venice,  and,  from  its  geographical 
position,  long  maintained  its  supremacy  and  integrity 
not  only  against  the  powerful  attacks  of  the  Sclavo- 
nians,  but  also  against  the  piratical  encroachments  of 
the  Saracens,  the  Normans,  and  the  Greeks.  Venice  is 


102  LILY     WHITE. 

situated  on  the  Adriatic,  and  anciently  consisted  of  four 
small  towns — Grado,  Caorlo,  Malamocco,  and  Pales- 
trina.  The  zeal  and  bravery  of  a  distinguished  citizen, 
Angelo  Participazio,  aroused  his  countrymen  to  arms, 
and  by  this  means  repelled  the  forces  of  Pepin,  which 
had  subjugated  Malamocco.  His  fellow-citizens,  grate- 
ful for  his  noble  daring  and  brilliant  achievements,  ele- 
vated him  to  the  ducal  throne,  and  during  the  eighteen 
years  of  his  successful  reign  those  four  towns  were  united 
into  one  town,  called  Venice.  It  was  during  his  pros- 
perous sway  that  the  body  of  St.  Mark  was  brought 
from  Alexandria  and  deposited  within  the  palace.  The 
lion  of  St.  Mark  soon  became  the  national  ensign,  and 
was  emblazoned  on  the  Venetian  standard.  The  sixty 
islets  surrounding  the  Rialto  were  umted  by  bridges, 
the  canals  were  deepened,  and  Venice  became  the  proud 
and  haughty  mistress  of  the  sea.  From  the  period 
when  Alaric,  at  the  head  of  his  Gothic  hordes,  struck 
terror  throughout  the  whole  of  Italy,  Venice  was  filled 
with  a  hardy  and  industrious  people. 

"She  was  a  maiden  city,  bright  and  free; 
No  guile  seduced — no  force  could  violate; 
And  when  she  took  unto  herself  a  mate, 
She  must  espouse  the  everlasting  sea." 

But  with  all  her  pride  and  wealth,  her  beauty  and 
magnificence,  her  power  and  influence,  she  yielded  to 
the  sad  mutations  of  time,  and  her  historic  page  is 
blackened  by  the  foulest  deeds  and  the  darkest  crimes 
that  could  disgrace  the  annals  of  a  republic.  Every 
canal  has  a  history  full  of  death,  every  palace  has  been 
stained  by  human  blood.  Citizens,  old  and  young,  noble 


LILY     WHITE.  103 

and  ignoble,  disappeared,  and  none  dared  whisper  forth 
their  doubts,  lest  they  should  be  borne  to  the  ears  of  the 
dreaded  "Ten."  Under  their  potent  sway  the  most 
lovely  city  of  the  earth  was  draped  in  gloom,  and  every 
individual,  whether  masked  or  unmasked,  was  fearful 
that  even  his  thoughts  would  condemn  him.  To  appear 
before  that  secret  council  was  worse  than  death.  The 
accuser  never  faced  the  accused.  There  was  no  revision 
to  their  decree.  **  /•' 

The  palace  of  St.  Mark  is  connected  with  the  prisons 
by  the  "Bridge  of  Sighs."  Over  this  fatal  bridge  the 
culprit  was  dragged,  to  be  immured  in  a  dungeon  beneath 
the  water  if  in  winter,  or  beneath  the  leaded  roof  if  in 
summer-time.  Upon  the  splendid  square  of  St.  Mark 
the  citizens  met  td  celebrate  their  festivals.  Few,  how- 
ever, attended  on  these  occasions  without  a  mask,  and 
this  ancient  custom  prevails  at  the  present  day.  The 
tyranny  and  cruelty  of  her  rulers  struck  a  fatal  blow  to 
the  city  and  to  the  republic.  The  beauty  of  the  former 
still  lingers,  and  we  sigh  over  its  departed  greatness ;  but 
the  glory  and  grandeur  of  the  latter  has  grown  dim  amid 
the  fierce  revolutions  of  ages. 

It  is  indeed  a  gorgeous  sight  to  behold  those  splendid 
temples  and  palaces,  stained  and  tinged  by  the  lapse  of 
ages,  rising  from  the  water  and  casting  their  shadows 
over  its  surface.  It  is  indeed  a  beautiful  sight  to  watch 
the  graceful  movements  of  the  swiftly-gliding  gondolas, 
and  it  is  delightful  to  listen  to  the  song  of  the  gondolier 
rejoicing  on  his  way. 

It  was  to  this  lovely  city,  whose  history  is  flooded  with 
the  spirit  of  romance  and  the  legends  of  love  and  woe, 
that  we  accompanied  Col.  Lanier  and  his  daughters 


104  LILY     WHITE. 

Fanny  and  Lily.  They  had  been  in  Venice  but  a  few 
days,  when  the  young  ladies  were  introduced,  by  Col. 
Lanier,  to  a  gentleman  whom  the  Colonel  called  his  par- 
ticular friend.  He  was  an  Englishman — his  name  was  . 
Captain  Henry  Harris.  He  was  somewhat  advanced  in 
life — being  somewhere  between  thirty-eight  or  forty. 
He  was  a  large  man,  with  a  marked  tendency  to  corpu- 
lency. His  hair  was  black  and  straight,  and,  being 
kept  well  oiled,  hung  in  strings  about  his  brow.  His 
face  was  red,  and  his  eyes  large  and  prominent.  It 
was  evident  that  the  Captain  was  one  of  those  who  had 
practiced  no  self-denial  in  the  indulgence  of  his  appe- 
tite and  gratification  of  his  desires.  His  manners  were 
polished,  and  his  mind  was  stored  with  information 
picked  up  while  mingling  with  London  society,  or  asso- 
ciating with  those  who  frequent  the  principal  cities  of 
Europe.  Captain  Harris,  in  fine,  was  out  and  out  a 
man  of  the  world.  He  had  knocked  along  thus  far  in 
life  without  obtaining  a  wife,  and  it  was  now  understood 
that  he  would  adopt  any  means  and  yield  to  any  policy 
which  would  be  likely  to  bring  him  that  essential  requi- 
site to  his  wishes  and  comfort.  Col.  Lanier  was  highly 
pleased  with  his  new  acquaintance,  and  admired  him  as 
much  for  the  elegance  of  his  manners  as  he  did  for  his 
dexterity  at  cards.  These  two  men,  though  their  dis- 
positions ran  parallel  in  the  main,  yet  in  many  of  their 
minor  traits  greatly  differed.  Col.  Lanier  was  ardent 
and  impetuous ;  Captain  Harris,  phlegmatic  and  deli- 
berate. The  least  exciting  cause  would  materially 
disturb  the  equanimity  of  the  Colonel ;  while  amid  the 
greatest  tumult  and  confusion  the  Captain  was  unmoved. 
The  Colonel  exhibited  his  wrath  in  high-sounding  words  ; 


LILY     WHITE.  105 

the  Captain,  when  most  enraged,  could  smile  as  sweetly 
as  when  fortune  turned  his  cards.  It  was  his  policy 
never  to  be  thrown  off  his  guard,  and  he  found  that  this 
resolution  had  conducted  him  triumphantly  through 
many  a  scene  of  danger  and  of  risk.  His  conversation 
was  low  and  soft,  and  those  who  knew  him  not  regarded 
him  as  the  paragon  of  virtue  and  propriety.  This, 
then,  was  the  man  whom  Col.  Lanier  introduced,  as  his 
particular  friend,  to  his  daughters  Lily  White  and  Fanny. 

Lily  and  Fanny  had  just  returned  from  an  evening's 
sail  upon  the  water,  and  were  seated  in  their  room  be- 
side a  window  that  overlooked  the  grand  canal,  while 
away  in  the  distance  could  be  seen  the  crested  billows 
of  the  Adriatic  rolling  on,  to  break  in  sparkling  foam 
upon  the  distant  shores  of  Dalmatia.  They  had  taken 
this  position  to  enjoy  the  healthful  breeze  that  floated 
from  the  sea ;  to  listen  to  the  splashings  of  oars  and  the 
merry  songs  of  the  gondoliers  that  came  wafted  up  from 
the  canal. 

"Well,  sister  Lily,  I  am  really  jealous  of  you  for 
monopolizing  this  evening  all  the  attention  of  Captain 
Harris.  When  in  your  company  he  does  not  seem  to 
know  that  I  am  near." 

This  was  said  in  a  playful  manner  by  the  wild  and 
jovial  Fanny. 

"  I  was  not  aware,  until  now,"  said  Lily,  "  that 
what  you  say  is  true ;  but  granting  that  it  is,  it  speaks 
slightly  for  the  Captain's  politeness,  still  less  for  his 
taste." 

"Come,  sister,"  said  Fanny,  "none  of  your  folly 
here ;  but  tell  me,  do  you  not  think  the  Captain  a  very 
entertaining  man  ?     He  is  so  gallant  and  noble  in  his 
9* 


106  LILY     WHITE. 

bearing,  and  seeins  so  much  at  home  under  all  circum- 
stances, that  I  am  sure  he  has  seen  much  of  good 
society." 

"Why,  Fanny,  from  the  warmth  with  which  you 
praise  the  Captain,  one  might  have  reason  to  suspect 
you  of  being  in  love.  You  asked  me  what  I  thought  of 
the  Captain  ?  I  will  answer  you.  I  regard  him  as  a 
gentleman  who  has  seen  much  of  the  world,  both  good 
and  bad.  I  must  confess,  and  yet  I  know  not  why, 
nor  how  it  is,  that  I  am  not  much  pleased  with  the 
Captain." 

"  How  can  you  speak  thus,"  said  Fanny,  "when  you 
see  how  father  looks  upon  him,  and  how  polite  he  is 
to  us?" 

"  I  may  be  in  error,  Fanny,  in  my  judgment  of  this 
stranger,  whom  we  have  known  only  a  few  days ;  but  we 
will  see  what  development  a  longer  acquaintance  will 
bring  forth." 

We  should  ere  this  have  mentioned  that  Fanny's 
health  had  greatly  improved,  and  it  was  hoped  by  her 
sister  Lily,  that  a  few  more  weeks  would  restore  her  to 
her  usual  health  and  cheerfulness. 

Col.  Lanier  spared  neither  pains  nor  expense  in  min- 
istering to  the  comfort  and  enjoyment  of  his  daughters. 
During  the  day  he  seldom  left  them,  and  seemed  to 
linger  with  delight  in  their  company.  He  was  with 
them  on  the  canals,  and  accompanied  them  to  the  opera 
and  ridottos.  The  Captain  had  become  almost  one  of 
the  party.  It  was  evident  that  Fanny's  quick  percep- 
tion had  read  Captain  Harris's  motives,  and  every  day 
showed  still  more  clearly  that  he  was  pleased  with  her 
sister  Lily.  By  meeting  his  advances  with  formality 


LILY     WHITE.  107 

and  sometimes  even  coldness,  Lily  kept  him  at  a  proper 
distance.  The  more  she  had  seen  the  less  was  she 
pleased  with  him.  There  was  that  in  the  twinkle  of  his 
eye  that  told  plainly  that  all  was  not  right  in  his  heart. 
Lily  had  seen  of  late  that  Col.  Lanier  was  more  fre- 
quently absent  from  his  room  at  night.  She  knew  too 
well  the  disposition  of  Col.  Lanier,  and  his  fondness  for 
gaming,  and  she  had  but  little  doubt  that  Captain  Har- 
ris was  his  partner  at  the  card-table.  Whenever  she 
permitted  herself  to  think  upon  it  she  was  troubled  and 
perplexed.  But  how  could  she,  a  poor,  feeble  girl, 
accomplish  anything  by  her  interference,  when  her 
mother's  tears,  prayers,  and  sufferings,  had  failed  to 
work  a  reformation.  It  was  even  as  Lily  White  sus- 
pected. Col.  Lanier  had  first  met  Captain  Harris  at  a 
gambling  saloon.  The  Captain  eagerly  cultivated  the 
acquaintance  of  a  man  who  he  flattered  himself  could 
be  drained  of  all  his  money  ;  and  on  finding  him  in  pos- 
session of  two  lovely  daughters,  he  was  determined  to. 
play  a  bold  game.  His  thorough  knowledge  of  human 
nature  soon  influenced  him  to  adopt  the  means  most 
likely  to  insure  the  end  of  his  designs.  Like  a  skillful 
huntsman  he  spread  his  net,  and  day  by  day  rejoiced  in 
his  heart  in  beholding  his  victim  entering  unawares  into 
its  folds. 

Captain  Harris  had  taken  a  room  in  the  same  hotel, 
and  hither  every  night,  after  Lily  and  Fanny  had  re- 
tired, the  Colonel  went  to  indulge  in  that  passion  which 
had,  to  a  considerable  extent,  blighted  his  fortune  and 
sowed  about  him  the  seeds  of  sorrow  and  misfortune. 

Lily  spent  the  mornings  in  studying  the  Italian  lan- 
guage, and  the  evenings  in  visiting  either  the  opera 


108  LItY     WHITE. 

or  canals.  When  the  weather  was  unsuited  for  rowing, 
Lily  and  her  sister  visited  the  opera ;  but  when  it  was 
fair  and  beautiful,  a  gondola  was  chartered,  and  they 
went  forth  in  company  with  the  Colonel  to  enjoy  a  ride 
upon  the  water. 

A  few  evenings  after  Lily  and  Fanny  held  the  con- 
versation relating  to  Captain  Harris,  they  were  abroad 
on  the  canals  with  that  worthy  gentleman  and  Col. 
Lanier.  The  evening  was  serene  and  beautiful ;  the 
canals  were  thronged  with  many  gondolas  freighted 
with  gay  and  finely-dressed  ladies.  Lily  was  charmed 
with  the  scene  ;  and  though  she  had  several  times  been 
abroad  in  the  watery  streets,  yet  she  thought  she  had 
never  seen  the  canals  more  charming  and  delightful 
than  they  appeared  on  this  occasion.  They  directed 
the  gondolier  to  conduct  them  through  the  main  canal, 
and  thence  through  the  one  leading  beneath  the  "Bridge 
of  Sighs."  The  scene  was  indeed  magnificent.  On 
either  side  rose  up  toward  the  skies  those  gigantic 
structures  whose  foundations  were  deep  beneath  the 
water,  whose  turrets  and  towering  battlements  had 
braved  the  rage  of  many  a  furious  storm  and  success- 
fully withstood  the  ravages  of  ages,  and  exhibited  the 
lapse  of  time  only  in  a  dinginess  that  overspread  their 
marble  fronts.  Here  were  palaces  once  occupied  by 
those  merchant-princes  whose  wealth  and  influence  had 
been  felt  and  acknowledged  throughout  the  Venetian 
Republic.  On  this  side  towered  a  church  whose  grand 
Gothic  architecture  cast  a  melancholy  splendor  over  the 
scene.  Now  they  glided  gracefully  beneath  some  one  of 
those  numerous  bridges  that  span  the  canals,  and  then 
floated  on  to  the  music  of  the  guitar  and  the  musical  dip 


LILY     WHITE.  109 

of  the  gondolier's  oar.  Before  them  loomed  up  the  towers 
and  domes  of  the  Palace  of  St.  Mark.  There,  too,  was 
the  fatal  "Bridge  of  Sighs,"  over  whose  lofty  archway 
have  been  led  the  victims  of  those  cruel  times  when 
Venice  boasted  of  her  liberty  purchased  at  the  price  of 
the  blood  of  her  own  citizens. 

Lily  was  seated  in  the  prow  of  the  gondola,  and,  lean- 
ing forward,  was  watching  the  foam-bells  as  they  danced 
rapidly  away.  Fanny  had  several  times  cautioned  her 
not  to  lean  too  far  over  the  side  of  the  vessel.  But 
Lily  did  not  heed  the  advice  of  her  sister,  either  because 
she  did  not  hear,  or  else  because  she  preferred  to  indulge 
in  that  reckless  kind  of  sport.  The  gondola  which  bore 
them  had  reached  a  crossing,  and  was  darting  forward 
with  the  swiftness  of  an  arrow,  when  it  was  forcibly 
struck  by  another  vessel  meeting  it  at  right  angles. 

It  struck  the  gondola  about  four  feet  from  the 
prow — send,  partly  from  her  position  and  partly  from 
the  force  of  the  stroke,  Lily  White  was  thrown  over- 
board ;  while  the  other  gondola  was  sent  quivering 
back,  throwing  the  gondolier  forward  upon  the  deck. 
Fanny  screamed  in  affright ;  Col.  Lanier  was  bewildered, 
and  the  valiant  Captain  summoned  the  gondolier  to  leap 
forth  and  rescue  Lily.  In  an  instant,  a  manly  form 
plunged  into  the  waves,  and  in  another  moment  Lily, 
dripping  with  water,  was  rescued  from  death.  Having 
regained  his  own  gondola,  the  young  man  apologized 
for  his  share  of  the  untimely  accident,  and  cautioned 
his  rower  to  be  more  particular  in  the  future  how  he 
dashed  upon  such  precious  cargoes.  Upon  finding  the 
young  man  to  be  her  countryman,  Lily  said, — 

"  I  am  thankful  to  you  for  saving  my  life,  for  though 


110  LILY     WHITE. 

our  gondola  carries  a  gallant  Captain,  yet  it  seems  he 
was  going  to  let  me  drown  rather  than  soil  his  dress." 

At  this  a  laugh  was  raised  against  the  Captain  which 
he  did  not  relish;  but  he  felt  keenly  the. playful  rebuke, 
and  was  compelled  to  laugh  with  the  others. 

"I  was,"  said  he,  "just  preparing  for  the  leap,  when 
I  saw  this  young  gentleman  plunge  into  the  water,  and 
I  thought  it  might  lead  to  a  contention  between  us  as 
to  who  should  rescue  you;  and  while  we  might  have 
been  debating  who  owned  the  preference,  all  three  of 
us  might  be  drowned ;  hence  I  deemed  it  prudent  to 
yield  in  favor  of  the  stranger." 

"I  thank  you,  sir,"  said  the  stranger,  "inasmuch  as 
it  has  afforded  me  the  opportunity  to  save  the  life  of 
one  who,  if  I  mistake  not,  was  born  beneath  other 
skies." 

"Again,  Miss,  permit  me  to  beg  pardon  for  endan- 
gering your  life  and  interrupting  the  pleasure 'of  your 
evening's  ride." 

"It  is  granted,  I  assure  you,"  said  Lily;  "  and  I  will 
ever  be  under  a  debt  of  gratitude  for  the  ready  and 
manly  manner  which  you  manifested  in  rescuing  me." 

"Can  you,  sir,"  said' he  to  Col.  Lanier,  "give  me 
directions  to  the  residence  of  the  American  Consul  ?  I 
am  a  stranger  in  the  city,  and  am  from  a  vessel  which 
has  just  cast  its  anchor." 

The  proper  directions  were  given,  and,  saluting  each 
other,  the  two  gondolas  separated ;  one  to  return  to  the 
hotel  that  Lily  might  change  her  garments,  the  other 
to  seek  the  flag-stone  of  the  American  Consul's  building. 

The  reader,  doubtless,  has  surmised  the  young  stran- 
ger, who  thus  gallantly  and  bravely  plunged  into  the 


LILY     WHITE.  Ill 

water  to  rescue  Lily  White,  to  be  Eugene  Saunders.  It 
was  even  so ;  he  had  safely  reached  Ravenna  on  the 
Adriatic,  and  'having  disposed  of  his  horse  for  a  fair 
price,  sent  back  Frank's  servant  with  a  letter  of  thanks 
to  him  for  his  kindness  and  friendship,  and  inquiring 
whether  Bernardo  was  dead  or  merely  wounded.  Find- 
ing a  vessel  just  ready  to  sail  for  Venice,  he  engaged 
his  passage,  and  determined  to  seek  an  asylum  for 
awhile  within  the  Venetian  Republic.  He  bore  letters 
of  introduction  to  the  American  Consul ;  and  the  object 
of  his  visit  when  the  accident  mentioned  above  occurred 
was  to  deliver  those  letters  and  to  inform  the  Consul  of 
his  difficulties,  and  to  ask  his  aid  and  protection. 

Eugene  thought  he  had  never  seen  a  more  beautiful 
creature  than  her  for  whom  he  had  risked  his  own  life. 
She  appeared  to  him  a  second  Venus  from  the  waves, 
and  her  soft,  musical  voice,  and  quiet,  pleasing  manners, 
produced  a  strange  sensation  in  his  breast  which  he  had 
never  before  experienced. 

Somehow  or  other  when  he  sought  his  pillow  that 
night,  his  mind  reverted  to  that  little  slipper  which, 
amid  the  exciting  scenes  through  which  he  had  recently 
passed,  had  been  consigned  to  his  trunk  and  seldom 
claimed  his  thoughts.  Then  came  freshly  and  most 
vividly  to  his  mind  the  dream  which  he  had  on  the 
night  when  first  he  found  the  slipper,  in  which  he  be- 
held the  maiden  with  the  golden  tresses  and  serenely 
beaming  eye.  Ah  !  thought  he,  how  much  of  that 
dream  has  proved  true !  Then  came  before  him  the 
image  of  Uglino  and  the  fearful  contest  with  Bernardo 
the  priest.  Eugene  did  not  forget  Uncle  Ben,  with  his 
honest,  smiling  face,  nor  Aunt  Lucy,  with  all  her  kind- 


112  LILY     WHITE. 

ness  and  goodness  beaming  in  her  countenance.  By  no 
means :  for  the  gentle  splashings  of  the  oars  from  the 
gondolas  passing  and  repassing  fell  upon  his  ear,  awak- 
ing remembrances  of  his  far  distant  home,  with  its 
quietude  and  rural  beauties,  and  its  lake  stretching 
away  in  perfect  loveliness. 

The  moon-beams  straying  into  his  apartment,  cast  a 
soft  and  mellow  radiance  over  every  nook  and  corner  of 
its  dimensions.  Eugene  was  strangely  impressed  with 
the  solemnity  of  the  hour,  and  was  confident  that  a  new 
leaf  was  about  to  be  turned  in  the  history  of  his  life. 
But  whether  it  would  be  a  dark  and  gloomy  page,  like 
the  one  on  which  were  traced  those  horrid  deeds  enacted 
in  that  very  city  during  the  bloody  and  tempestuous 
reign  of  the  mysterious  "Ten,"  he  could  not  divine. 
The  gloominess  of  the  hour,  with  its  shadows  and  silence, 
seemed  to  him  to  argue  no  good  fortune ;  but  the  cheer- 
fulness of  the  moon-beams  playing  upon  the  floor  aided, 
to  some  extent,  in  softening  the  melancholy  which  by 
degrees  came  stealing  over  him.  To  Eugene  it  seemed 
that  Fate  was  impelling  him  on  for  some  direct  and 
special  purpose ;  but  what  that  purpose  was,  to  him  was 
a  sealed  mystery.  He  had  been  in  Italy  only  a  few 
short  months,  and  in  that  brief  space  of  time  he  had 
not  only  incurred  the  displeasure  of  the  Church  of 
Rome,  but  his  own  life  had  been  endangered  by  a  secret 
and  deadly  foe.  Incidents,  strange  and  unexpected, 
met  him  at  every  turn,  and  go  where  he  would  he  could 
not  'escape  them.  He  had  not  been  in  Venice  more 
than  an  hour,  when  he  rescued  a  beautiful  creature 
from  death,  and  now  he  was  burning  with  a  desire  to 
know  more  of  her  than  he  was  willing  to  confess.  With 


LILY     WHITE.  113 

thoughts  such  as  these  floating  through  his  mind,  Eu- 
gene went  to  sleep  and  dreamed  that  he  was  a  valiant 
and  noble  knight,  armed  with  sword  and  lance,  and  clad 
in  shining  steel,  fighting  in  the  sacred  cause  of  love  and 
liberty. 


CHAPTER  XL 

The  dearest  friend  to  me,  the  kindest  man, 
The  best  conditioned,  and  unwearied  spirit 
In  doing  courtesies  ;  and  one  in  whom 
The  ancient  Koman  honor  more  appears, 
Than  any  that  draws  breath  in  Italy. 

MERCHANT  OF  VENICE. 

ON  awaking  the  next  morning,  the  first  thing  that 
claimed  Eugene's  thoughts  was  the  young  lady  whom 
he  had  rescued  on  the  previous  evening  from  a  watery 
grave.  He  felt  a  strong  desire  to  call  upon  her  and 
inquire  concerning  her  health ;  but  then  there  were 
difficulties  to  be  surmounted  before  that  could  be  ac- 
complished of  which  he  had  not  at  first  thought.  He 
was  a  stranger  in  Venice,  and  possessed  no  knowledge 
of  the  maiden's  residence ;  moreover,  he  was  fully  aware 
that  his  unfortunate  affray  with  ^Bernardo  would  soon 
reach  the  priesthood  of  Venice,  and  that  no  small  price 
would  be  offered  for  his  capture,  all  of  which  suggested 
the  necessity  of  great  care  and  prudence. 

Eugene  bore  letters  of  introduction  to  Castruccio  Cas- 
tracini,  a  merchant  of  considerable  wealth  and  influence, 
10 


114  LILY     WHITE. 

who  held  Americans  in  special  favor  and  guarded  their 
interest  with  zeal  and  fidelity.  Eugene's  first  care, 
therefore,  was  to  seek  this  gentleman,  present  his  let- 
ters, and  deposit  with  him  what  means  he  did  not  expect 
immediately  to  use.  Dressing  himself,  he  chartered  a 
gondola,  and  sought  the  sumptuous  palace  of  Castruccio. 
He  was  ushered  into  a  splendid  room  by  a  handsome 
Italian  girl,  to  await  the  approach  of  the  merchant. 
The  palace  of  Castruccio  was  situated  upon  one  of  the 
back  canals,  and  commanded  one  of  the  most  lovely 
sites  in  Venice.  From  this  point  any  portion  of  the 
city  could  be  visited  either  on  foot  or  in  a  gondola. 
The  palace  was  built  of  marble,  and  bore  every  appear- 
ance of  great  antiquity.  Eugene  did  not  have  to  wait 
long  for  the  merchant,  for  he  had  scarcely  time  to  ad- 
mire the  splendor  of  the  room,  decorated  with  magni- 
ficent paintings,  ere  Castruccio  entered. 

"  This,  I  presume,  is  Castruccio  Castracini,  the  hos- 
pitable merchant  of  Venice  ?"  said  Eugene. 

"  Si,  Sign  ore,"  answered  the  merchant. 

"  My  name  is  Eugene  Saunders,  and  I  bear  letters  to 
you  from  friends  in  Florence,"  said  Eugene. 

When  Eugene  mentioned  his  name,  Castruccio  seemed 
somewhat  startled,  and  his  dark  eyes  rested  upon  him 
while  he  was  engaged  in  searching  his  pockets  for  the 
letters.  Castruccio  was  a  man  of  middle  age.  His 
complexion  was  a  rich  olive,  his  hair  as  dark  as  the 
raven's  wing,  and  his  eyes  soft  in  their  expression  and 
sparkling  with  animation.  Having  received  the  letters 
from  Eugene,  he  slowly  and  carefully  read  them  over 
several  times. 

"  I  am  pleased  to  make  your  acquaintance,  sir,"  said 


LILY     WHITE.  115 

Castruccio,  "  and  will  be  most  happy  to  advance  your 
interest  or  enhance  your  pleasure  while  you  remain  in 
Venice.  You  may  command  me  at  any  time,  and  you 
will  find  me  unmindful  neither  of  the  friends  who  re- 
commended you,  nor  forgetful  of  my  duties  to  a  stranger 
visiting  our  beautiful  city." 

"  From  my  heart  I  thank  you,  sir,  and  must  say  that 
I  am  entirely  undeserving  the  high  honor  which  your 
kindness  and  generosity  would  heap  upon  me,"  said 
Eugene. 

"  It  seems  to  me  that  I  have  heard  your  name  be- 
fore," said  the  merchant ;  "  let  me  see  ;  but  impossible, 
it  cannot  be.  Ah!  sir,  I  remember  now;"  and  taking 
from  his  pocket  a  paper,  read,  to  Eugene's  wonder  and 
amazement,  an  exact  description  of  his  person,  dress, 
and  manners,  with  the  charge  of  having  not  only  out- 
raged the  Holy  Church  of  Rome,  but  also  of  having 
taken  the  life  of  one  of  its  highest  functionaries.  The 
article  concluded  with  a  binding  injunction  upon  every 
true  and  faithful  Catholic,  upon  pain  of  excommunica- 
tion, to  arrest  the  heretic  and  murderer,  and  to  assist 
in  restoring  him  to  justice.  Eugene  knew  not  what  to 
do,  and  was  meditating  the  chances  of  escape,  or  whether 
it  would  not  be  better  to  inform  the  merchant  of  the 
whole  affair,  and  throw  himself  upon  his  honor  and 
mercy. 

"Are  you  not  the  same  person  mentioned  in  this 
document?"  said  Castruccio. 

"  I  am,  sir ;  and  will  you  be  so  kind  as  to  inform  me 
by  what  means  you  came  in  possession  of  that  instru- 
ment ?  I  am  myself  directly  from  Florence,  and  sped 
hither  as  rapidly  as  the  wind  and  tide  could  bear  me." 


116  LILY     WHITE. 

"  Have  you  yet  to  learn,"  said  the  merchant,  "that 
the  Church  of  Rome  has  many  ways  and  means  by  and 
through  which  to  convey  information,  and  that  a  man 
whose  business  extends  to  Rome  itself  is  early  sought 
out  to  assist  in  giving  information?  This  letter  was 
handed  to  me  this  morning  early,  and  was  despatched 
from  Florence  by  a  vessel  procured  for  that  purpose. 
Since  you  have  confessed  the  affair,  will  you  inform  me 
concerning  the  particulars  ?" 

Eugene  straightway  narrated  to  the  merchant  every- 
thing that  had  transpired  in  Florence  :  how  he  had  been 
openly  insulted  by  Bernardo ;  how  that  black-hearted 
priest  had  employed  an  assassin  to  take  his  life ;  how 
he  had  escaped  through  the  timely  warning  and  friend- 
ship of  Uglino ;  how  Bernardo  had  imprisoned  Loren- 
zino  Pitti ;  how  he  was  persecuting  the  fair  Simonetta, 
and  how  he  had  even  attempted  his  life  on  that  eventful 
night  when  he  was  under  the  painful  necessity  of  acting 
on  the  defensive  against  the  bloody-minded  priest. 
Even  in  recounting  the  trials  and  difficulties  through 
which  he  had  passed,  Eugene's  soul  grew  warm;  his 
bosom  swelled  with  honest  indignation;  his  eyes  flashed, 
and  a  glow  of  crimson  mantled  his  brow. 

"I  have,"  continued  Eugene,  "throughout  this  whole 
affair  been  guided  by  the  purest  motives  and  influenced 
by  the.  most  honorable  feelings.  In  my  own  native  land 
we  are  unused  to  such  outrageous  and  detestable  crimes, 
and,  like  a  man,  I  have  merely  shielded  a  defenceless 
maiden,  a  countrywoman  of  yours,  sir,  from  the  un- 
holy advances  of  a  black-hearted  villain  and  an  unprin- 
cipled scoundrel,  who,  if  possible,  would  have  blighted 
the  honor  of  the  maid  and  destroyed  my  own  life.  I 


LILY     WHITE.  117 

now,  sir,  have  spoken  the  truth,  and  throw  myself  upon 
your  honor,  as  a  man  recommended  to  me  as  one  in 
whom  I  might  place  confidence." 

Castruccio  had  listened  to  Eugene's  story  with  interest, 
and  several  times  manifested  considerable  emotion. 

"  Signore,  I  believe  you  speak  the  truth,  and  you 
shall  have  no  reason  to  doubt  my  will  to  serve  you.  I 
am  no  Catholic,  and  though  from  policy  I  wage  no  war 
against  them,  yet  I  know  full  well  that  what  you  say  is 
not  only  true  in  your  own  case,  but  in  many  others  I 
could  mention.  I  admire  your  spirit  and  generosity, 
and  if  you  had  murdered  the  whole  Church  of  Rome,  it 
shall  not  prevent  me  from  assisting  you,  as  you  have 
aided  one  of  our  own  Italian  maidens." 

"  I  thank  you,  sir,  and  will  endeavor  so  to  demean 
myself  that  you  shall  have  no  good  reason  to  regret 
having  aided  one  who  needs  an  adviser  in  his  difficulties, 
and  who  is  able  to  pay  you  for  whatever  trouble  he  may 
cause." 

"  Talk  not  of  pay,  young  man ;  if  I  can  afford  you  any 
service,  the  gratification  arising  therefrom  will  more 
than  recompense  me." 

"Is  it  not  likely,"  said  Eugene,  "that  there  will  be 
spies  employed  to  search  me  out  and  deliver  me  into  the 
hands  of  the  Inquisition  ?" 

"I  have  no  doubt,"  answered  the  merchant,  "that 
every  Roman  Catholic  in  Venice  would  recognize  you 
could  they  meet  you  unmasked.  And  it  is  essential 
to  your  safety  that  you  keep  your  room  by  day,  and 
when  you  go  forth  by  night  see  that  you  are  well  dis- 
guised." 

Just  as  Castruccio  had  finished  the  sentence,  the  same 
10* 


118  LILY     WHITE. 

charming  Italian  girl  who  had  announced  Eugene  en- 
tered the  room  and  informed  them  that  a  stranger 
claimed  a  hearing. 

"What  kind  of  a  man  does  he  appear,  Rosetta?" 
asked  the  merchant. 

"  I  cannot  tell  you,  since  he  is  masqued  and  wears  a 
robe." 

"  Ha  !  a  robe  !    Quick,  sir,  follow  me." 

The  merchant  opened  a  small  closet-door,  and  before 
Eugene  had  time  to  collect  his  thoughts  and  overcome 
his  surprise  he  heard  Castruccio  lock  the  door  and  bid 
Rosetta  direct  the  stranger  to  enter. 

Eugene's  present  abode  was  anything  but  comfortable. 
It  seemed  to  him  that  the  dust  of  ages  had  accumulated 
there  amid  the  castaway  papers,  books,  and  other  use- 
less articles.  It  was  dark  as  night,  and  some  time 
elapsed  before  Eugene  could  get  his  breath  with  com- 
fort. 

The  stranger  entered  with  slow,  sedate,  and  dignified 
tread,  which  bespoke  at  once  cunning,  hypocrisy,  and 
avarice.  He  approached  the  table  at  which  Castruccio 
was  busily  engaged  in  writing,  and  saluted  him  with — 

"  Good  morning,  Signore  Castruccio." 

"Father  Pietro,"  said  the  merchant;  "but  before  I 
can  have  any  further  words  with  you,  you  must  unmask. 
I  never  transact  business  otherwise  than  openly  and 
face  to  face." 

Father  Pietro  removed  the  mask,  exhibiting  a  pale, 
cadaverous  countenance,  on  which  ever  lingered  a  hypo- 
critical sneer,  doubtless  intended  for  a  smile. 

"  To  what  fortunate  circumstance  am  I  indebted  for  a 
visit  from  Father  Pietro?" 


LILY      WHITE.  119 

"  To  an  unfortunate  circumstance,"  responded  the 
priest. 

"  How  so  ?"  demanded  the  merchant. 

"  The  sad  news  has  reached  me  that  Father  Bernardo, 
of  Florence,  was  murdered  a  few  evenings  ago  by  a 
heretic." 

"Ah!  what  sayest  thou?"  eagerly  inquired  Castruc- 
cio,  as  if  he  had  never  heard  of  the  event  before. 

"And  it  is  thought  the  perpetrator  of  the  crime  is 
now  here." 

Eugene,  who  was  so  situated  that  he  could  distinctly 
hear  every  word  that  passed  between  them,  trembled 
when  the  priest  emphasized  the  word  here. 

"  What  meanest  thou  ?  Does  the  holy  father  insinuate 
that  Castruccio's  palace  is  the  harbor  for  one  who  has 
dared  to  lift  his  hand  in  harm  against  a  priest  of  Rome  ?" 

"  By  no  means,  my  son ;  I  merely  intended  to  say 
here  in  Venice,"  said  the  priest. 

"How  did  this  misfortune  occur?"  asked  the  mer- 
chant. 

"  My  informant  states  that  Father  Bernardo,  as  was 
his  custom,  was  promenading  by  moonlight  along  the 
beautiful  banks  of  the  Arno,  meditating  doubtless  upon 
his  holy  duties  and  communing  with  his  own  soul  that  he 
might  the  better  be  prepared  to  discharge  the  high  and 
important  trusts  reposed  in  him  by  our  Father  who  art 
in  Rome,  when  he  was  suddenly  and  violently  accosted 
by  a  young  American  and  shot." 

On  hearing  this  vile  slander  upon  his  bravery  and 
honor  Eugene  felt  the  blood  mount  to  his  temples,  and 
his  first  impulse  was  to  burst  the  door  of  his  retreat  and 
confront  the  slanderer  with  the  lie ;  but,  checking  his 


120  LILY     WHITE. 

anger,  he  determined  to  hear  what  more  the  holy  father 
•would  say  upon  the  subject. 

"  The  crime  is  indeed  a  great  one,"  said  the  merchant. 
"  But  what  proof  have  you  that  it  is  a  young  Ameri- 
can who  is  guilty,  if  the  deed  was  committed  at  night 
by  the  lonely  brink  of  the  Arno  ?" 

This,  evidently,  was  a  question  which  Pietro  was  not 
expecting,  and  it  was  some  time  before  he  answered. 
Finally  he  said  : — 

"  You  know,  my  child,  that  Rome  has  many  eyes,  and 
it  does  not  become  me  as  an  officiating  priest  to  divulge 
the  ways  and  means  by  which  we  read  things  which  to 
others  are  wrapt  in  eternal  gloom." 

"  You  speak  the  truth,  holy  father." 

"This,"  continued  the  priest,  "is  a  grievous  injury, 
and  is  but  an  exposition  of  the  views  and  feelings  which 
rage  in  the  breasts  of  many  in  America,  to  crush  out 
the  spirit  of  Catholicism.  Ha  !  ha  !  ha  !  how  vain  the 
attempt !  When  once  the  Church  of  Rome  gets  foot- 
hold you  might  as  well  undertake  to  check  the  waves  of 
the  ocean,  or  to  stop  the  sun  in  mid-heaven,  as  to  curb 
the  onward  march  of  her  victorious  career.  Like  the 
Nile,  whose  sources  are  yet  undiscovered,  it  overturns 
every  opposing  difficulty,  and,  overflowing  the  land, 
causes  a  new,  healthy,  and  productive  soil  to  be  depo- 
sited, which,  under  proper  management  and  cultivation, 
enriches  the  whole  land.  But,  my  son,  there  is  a  differ- 
ence between  America  and  Italy.  Here  a  holy  father 
cannot  be  killed  with  impunity.  Knowing  you  to  be  a 
friend  to  the  Holy  Church  I  have  called  to  obtain  your 
influence  to  aid  in  ferreting  out  the  criminal  if  he  can 
be  found  in  Venice." 


LILY     WHITE.  121 

"  Father  Pietro,  you  know  how  much  business  rests 
on  my  hands,  but  Castruccio  is  ever  ready  to  lend  a 
hand  when  the  laws  of  humanity  have  been  violated." 

The  priest  seemed  satisfied  with  this  answer.  Cas- 
truccio accompanied  him  to  the  door,  and  when  he  was 
satisfied  that  he  was  gone  opened  the  closet-door  and 
bade  Eugene  come  forth.  Eugene,  glad  once  more  to 
inhale  the  pure  air,  stepped  forth,  covered  with  dust  and 
cobwebs.  So  completely  was  he  disguised  that  Cas- 
truccio could  scarcely  refrain  from  laughter. 

"  I  am  sorry,"  said  the  merchant,  "  to  have  been  under 
the  necessity  of  thrusting  you  into  that  dusty  place ; 
but  it  is  better  to  bear  a  little  dust  than  the  chains  of 
an  Inquisition,  for  the  one  can  be  easily  brushed  off,  the 
other  cannot  be  got  rid  of  so  readily.  I  see  from  your 
looks  that  you  are  wearied  from  your  confinement." 

Castruccio  rang  a  bell,  and  a  servant  soon  answering 
the  signal  was  ordered  to  bring  wine  and  other  refresh- 
ments. These  in  a  few  minutes  were  spread  before 
them,  and  Eugene  soon  recovered  from  the  effects  of 
the  closet.  He  expressed  his  great  surprise  how  it  was 
possible  that  men  claiming  for  themselves  the  name  of 
holy  father,  and  the  weighty  responsibility  of  men's 
souls  resting  upon  their  consciences,  could  thus  warp  the 
truth  and  fabricate  a  foul  and  damning  slander,  in  order 
to  gratify  a  revenge  which  never  should  belong  to  the 
character  of  a  good  man,  a  Christian,  or  a  church. 

Eugene  and  Castruccio  passed  the  morning  together ; 
the  former  telling  of  his  native  land,  the  latter  giving  a 
history  of  his  various  investments.  They  grew,  in  that 
short  morning,  to  be  mutual  friends.  Castruccio  ad- 
mired Eugene  for  his  modesty,  intelligence,  and  frank- 


122  LILY     WHITE. 

ness;  and  Eugene  was  favorably  impressed  with  the 
placid  smiles,  the  quiet  manner  of  conversation,  and  the 
benevolent  expression  of  Castruccio's  face. 

Every  arrangement  was  planned  for  the  safety  and 
protection  of  Eugene. 

"Now,  remember,"  said  the  merchant,  "  do  not  hesi- 
tate to  call  upon  me  for  assistance  whenever  you  may 
need  my  services." 

"  I  shall  certainly  not  forget  that  I  have  a  friend  so 
true  and  noble  in  Venice,"  answered  Eugene. 

"  Call  upon  me  often,"  said  the  merchant,  as  Eugene 
was  departing. 

"  I  will  avail  myself  of  that  pleasure ;  and  now,  sir, 
I  again  thank  you  for  what  you  have  done  in  my  behalf 
this  morning,  and  believe  me  that  you  have  the  warmest 
feelings  of  a  stranger's  heart  for  your  peace,  happiness, 
and  prosperity." 

With  this  they  shook  hands,  and  Eugene  departed  for 
his  room.  This  was  at  a  time  of  day  when  not  many 
persons  were  abroad  in  the  streets  or  on  the  canals. 
Consequently,  Eugene  run  little  risk  of  detection  in 
returning  to  his  hotel  unmasked.  Eugene  consumed  the 
rest  of  the  day  in  writing  to  his  absent  friends.  Among 
his  letters  was  one  to  Frank  Morton,  which  ran  as  fol- 
lows : — 

VENICE,  May,  18— 

MR.  FRANK  MORTON  : 

My  dear  friend : — Since  I  shook  your  honest  hand  it 
is  impossible  for  me  to  describe  my  feelings.  Doubtless, 
Caorlo  has  informed  you  ere  this  of  the  particulars  of 
our  journey  as  far  as  Ravenna. 


LILY     WHITE.  123 

When  I  saw  the  spires  and  domes  of  Venice  gilded  by 
the  rays  of  an  evening  sun,  I  flattered  myself  that  I 
would  find  beneath  the  power  of  Austria  a  safe  retreat 
from  those  scenes  of  excitement  and  danger  through 
which  I  have  recently  passed.  But,  alas  !  it  seems  that 
my  unlucky  star  is  in  the  ascendant,  and  though  there 
is  an  occasional  gleam  of  hope  breaking  in  upon  my 
soul,  yet  soon  all  again  is  wrapt  in  gloom.  This  is  the 
second  day  of  my  residence  in  Venice,  and  I  am  as  well 
known  to  the  priesthood  of  this  city  as  if  they  had  been 
acquainted  with  me  for  years.  How  think  you,  Frank, 
they  have  it  here  relative  to  my  unfortunate  affair  with 
Bernardo  ?  That  I  broke  in  upon  his  pious  meditations 
while  he  was  enjoying  his  peaceful  walk  upon  the  bank 
of  the  Arno,  and  murdered  him  !  Now  is  this  not  too 
much  for  a  man  to  bear  ?  But  how  can  justice  be  pro- 
cured in  this  land,  blighted  by  the  power  of  Rome, 
where  every  man  is  under  the  influence  of  a  priest 
whose  heart  is  as  black  as  the  principles  he  inculcates, 
and  whose  motives  are  as  impure  and  unholy  as  the  reli- 
gion he  pretends  to  teach  ?  Here  I  am,  a  free-born  son 
of  America,  a  prisoner  in  my  own  room,  unable  to  stir 
except  under  a  close  disguise,  and  not  even  then  until 
the  shades  of  night  have  settled  on  the  world.  My 
pathway  is  beset  with  enemies  whose  power  is  rivaled 
only  by  their  meanness,  and  whose  cunning  is  equaled 
only  by  their  hypocrisy. 

How  it  will  result  God  only  knows.  I  am  forced  into 
the  current  of  events  by  some  mysterious  power,  and 
come  what  will  I  am  resolved  to  face  every  danger  and 
overcome  every  difficulty,  else  perish  in  the  attempt. 
Often  and  oft  I  have  wished  that  I  was  again  by  the 


124  LILY     WHITE. 

broad  and  quiet  hearthstone  of  my  own  distant  home, 
which,  even  as  I  pen  these  lines,  rises  before  my  mind, 


:  Like  an  oasis  in  the  desert, 


Star  of  light,  spangling  the  dreary  dark  of  this  world's  night," 

where,  undisturbed  by  enemies  and  uninterrupted  by 
passion,  I  could  pursue  at  pleasure  those  studies  which 
are  congenial  to  my  taste,  and  follow  those  inclinations 
which  conduce  to  my  peace  and  happiness.  I  am  heartily 
tired  of  the  pomp  and  splendor  of  the  old  world,  and 
long  once  more  to  sail  upon  my  own  beautiful  lake,  to 
follow  my  faithful  dogs  through  tangle  and  brake,  to 
gaze  upon  the  serene  and  lovely  skies  of  my  own  native 
land,  and  to  feel  that  beneath  the  "stars  and  stripes" 
my  life  and  property  are  safe  from  mortal  foe.  Do  not 
attribute  this  desire  to  an  unmanly  spirit  unless  you 
wish  to  wrong  me,  for  I  say  it  with  modesty,  yet  with 
firmness,  that  I  never  yet  feared  an  open,  manly  foe ; 
but  to  be  hunted  like  a  beast  of  prey  by  a  pack  of  cow- 
ardly knaves  who  have  the  power  in  their  own  hands, 
and  with  the  foul  suspicion  of  murder  resting  on  one's 
head,  is  galling  to  the  feelings  of  a  brave  man. 

But,  my  friend,  amid  all  my  misfortunes  I  have  rea- 
son to  write  myself  a  lucky  fellow,  for  only  yesterday 
evening,  within  an  hour  after  my  arrival,  it  was  my  good 
fortune  to  rescue  from  a  watery  grave  a  lovely  maiden, 
and  one,  too,  of  my  own  country.  I  have  seen"  nothing 
of  her  since  except  in  my  mind's  eye,  where  she  has 
dwelt  like  a  fairy,  giving  new  impulse  to  my  nature  and 
spanning  the  gloom  which  surrounds  me  with  a  beautiful 
bow  of  promise,  which,  alas !  may  be  dissolved  by  the 
first  adverse  wind  and  vanish  to  be  seen  nevermore. 


LILY     WHITE.  125 

But  I  find  I  am  growing  sentimental,  and,  asking  your 
pardon  for  thus  long  trifling  with  your  precious  time, 
must  close  this  desultory  epistle. 

Letters  for  me  you  will  please  direct  to  Castruccio 
Castracini ;  and  do  not  forget  to  remember  me  to  the 
beautiful  and  noble-hearted  Simonetta,  and  to  Uglino, 
the  dwarf,  should  you  perchance  meet  him  in  your  ram- 
bles. 

I  have  not  the  language  with  which  to  thank  you  for 
your  kindness  to  me,  and  now  believe  me  that  I  shall 
ever  remain, 

Your  friend, 

EUGENE  SAUNDERS. 
To  FRANCIS  MORTON, 

Florence,  Italy. 


CHAPTER  XII. 

No  thought  within  her  bosom  stirs, 

But  wakes  some  feeling  dark  and  dread ; 

God  keep  thee  from  a  doom  like  hers, 
Of  living  when  the  hopes  are  dead. 

PHCEBE  CAREY. 

IF  Eugene  was  haunted  by  the  image  of  Lily  White, 
she  was  no  less  under  the  influence  of  that  strange  and 
indescribable  feeling  which  sooner  or  later  visits  the 
bosom  of  every  individual.  She  was  completely  capti- 
vated by  the  manliness  and  bravery  of  her  preserver, 
and  since  that  unfortunate  event  of  the  canal  he  had 
11 


126  LILY    WHITE. 

not  only  been  in  her  thoughts  during  her  waking  hours, 
but  had  even  been  present  in  her  dreams. 

A  few  hours  later,  on  the  same  evening  that  Lily  had 
returned  to  her  room  dripping  with  water,  found  her  and 
Fanny  Lanier  seated  upon  the  balcony  that  overhung 
the  Grand  Canal.  This  was  their  favorite  retreat,  be- 
cause here  they  could,  unobserved,  notice  everything 
that  was  passing  below,  and  could  enjoy  to  a  better 
advantage  the  sea-breeze  that  floated  from  the  far-off 
shores.  Moreover,  they  could  here  converse  freely  to- 
gether upon  all  those  little  incidents  which  contribute 
largely  in  the  making  up  of  the  perfect  happiness  of 
the  softer  sex. 

"  Sister  Lily,"  said  Fanny,  "  what  is  the  matter  with 
you,  this  evening  ?  I  never  saw  you  so  dull  in  all  my 
life,  for  here  have  we  been  sitting  for  full  half  an  hour 
and  you  have  spoken  scarcely  a  word.  Come,  if  you 
don't  rouse  yourself  I  shall  accuse  you  of  grieving 
after  your  heart,  which  you  lost  this  evening  !" 

"Pshaw!  Fanny,  how  idly  you  talk!  Must  one's 
tongue  be  always  going  to  avoid  the  imputation  of  being 
in  love  ?" 

/*  "  Lily,  dear,  you  know  the  gentlemen  say  when  a  wo- 
man's tongue  is  silent  there  is  mischief  afloat." 

"  I  was  only  admiring  the  scene  which  now  lies  before 
us,  Fanny.  See  how  beautifully  and  brightly  the  dome 
of  yonder  palace  glitters  in  the  moonlight !  Is  it  not 
magnificent  ?  And  behold,  how  softly  those  shadows  fall 
athwart  the  canal !  Hark !  hear  you  not  the  music 
borne  to  us  by  the  gentle  zephyrs  from  yonder  approach- 
ing gondola  ?" 

"Oh!  how  happy,"  said  Fanny,  "must  these  Vene- 


LILY     WHITE.  127 

tian  maidens  be,  and  how  joyfully  must  be  their  lives, 
passed  beneath  such  charming  skies  and  amid  such 
beauty  and  splendor  as  we  now,  at  one  sight,  enjoy  !" 

By  this  time  the  gondola  which  Lily  and  Fanny  had 
seen  in  the  distance  glided  rapidly  by,  exhibiting  a 
skillful  gondolier.  The  gondola  was  of  the  same  dark 
color  that  belongs  to  all,  but  upon  its  deck  was  spread  a 
tent  or  awning  of  silk,  which  fluttered  gaily  in  the  eve- 
ning breeze,  while  in  front  of  this  were  seated  several 
maidens  playing  upon  guitars  and  accompanied  by  the 
rich  and  mellow  voices  of  two  Italian  gentlemen.  The 
music  was  divinely  sweet,  and  long  after  the  airy  vessel 
had  disappeared  it  seemed  to  linger  upon  the  water. 

"Ah!  Fanny,  many  a  lovely  scene  has  been  the  arena 
of  revolting  deeds,  and  many  a  maiden  has  poured  forth 
the  sweetest  melody  while  her  heart  was  nigh  to  break- 
ing from  sorrow  and  unrequited  love." 

This  sentence  was  uttered  by  Lily  partly  in  answer  to 
what  Fanny  had  said,  and  partly  from  what  she  had 
just  seen. 

"  The  next  thing  I  expect  to  hear  from  you,"  an- 
swered Fanny,  "  is,  that  you  intend  to  enter  a  convent 
with  the  view  of  taking  the  veil." 

"  Sister  Fanny,  if  you  love  me  you  will  not  jest  with 
me  when  my  heart  is  sorely  grieved." 

Fanny,  although  light  in  disposition,  was  yet  possessed 
of  a  warm  and  loving  heart.  Therefore,  no  sooner  did 
she  behold  Lily's  real  state  of  mind  than  she  threw  her 
arms  about  her  neck  and  wiped  the  tears  from  her  sis- 
ter's cheek. 

"  Forgive  me,  forgive  me,  sister  dear,  if  in  my  folly 


128  LILY     WHITE. 

and  reckless  manner  I  have  wounded  you.  But  tell  me, 
Lily,  what  is  it  that  is  thus  grieving  you  ?" 

Fanny  knew  not  what  she  asked.  For  had  Lily 
deemed  it  prudent*  to  inform  her  it  would  have  shocked 
her  young  and  tender  nature,  and  would  have  sent  the 
blood  gushing  to  her  heart.  Fanny  had  never  seen  her 
sister  so  much  depressed,  and,  when  Lily  avoided  her 
importunities  to  make  known  the  real  cause  of  her  sor- 
row, did  everything  in  her  power  to  soothe  her  trou- 
bled feelings. 

The  dejection  of  Lily  White  arose  not  from  imaginary, 
but  real  causes.  But  a  short  time  had  elapsed  after  her 
mother's  death  ere  she  had  reason  to  believe  that  at  no 
distant  period  she  would  be  compelled  to  forsake  her  sis- 
ter, in  order  to  shield  herself  from  the  encroachments  of 
one  upon  whom  misfortune  had  thrown  her  for  advice, 
protection,  and  support.  She  felt  that  she  was  an  orphan 
child,  without  wealth  and  friends,  and  with  only  the  love 
of  Fanny  to  soothe  her  in  misfortune  and  cheer  her  amid 
sorrows  and  trials.  Her  womanly  heart  soon  made  her 
acquainted  with  the  dangers  she  would  encounter  and  the 
difficulties  she  would  pass ;  but  never  had  she  breathed 
her  fears  to  Fanny,  and  had  kept  them  locked  within  the 
secret  chambers  of  her  own  bosom.  She  now  saw  plainly 
that  the  storm  which  had  been  brewing  would  soon  burst 
forth,  and  she  trembled  for  her  safety  whenever  she  be- 
held fresh  signs  of  its  approach.  Often,  while  Fanny 
would  be  absent  from  her  room,  would  she  sit  and  weep, 
and  upon  bended  knee  pray  God  to  avert  the  hand  that 
was  raised  against  her  happiness.  Just  ground  indeed 
did  Lily  have  for  fear. 


LILY     WHITE.  129 

Col.  Lanier,  from  his  youth,  had  never  known  what 
it  was  to  be  thwarted  in  his  views  or  plans ;  and  having 
been  so  long  under  the  entire  dominion  and  control  of 
those  baser  feelings  which  mar  human  nature  and  entail 
many  a  bitter  curse  upon  mankind,  his  heart  was  now 
hardened  against  every  call  of  kindness,  and  was  steeled 
against  every  generous  impulse. 

Mrs.  Lanier  had  not  been  many  months  reposing  in 
her  narrow  home,  and  long  ere  the  grass  grew  green 
upon  her  grave,  when  the  thought  crept  stealthily  and 
by  degrees  into  his  mind  of  one  day  making  Lily  White 
his  wife.  At  first  he  endeavored  to  wage  a  puny  war 
against  that  thought,  but  the  exertion  had  within  itself 
the  influence  to  kindle  into  a  flame  what  had  hitherto 
existed  only  as  a  spark. 

His  conscience  sometimes  raised  its  feeble  and  plain- 
tive cry  against  the  indulgence  of  a  passion  which  out- 
raged every  noble  and  honorable  principle,  violated  every 
sacred  feeling,  and  utterly  destroyed  the  sanctity  of  a 
trust  reposed  in  him  by  nature  and  love ;  but  when  he 
beheld  the  beauty  and  grace  of  Lily,  witnessed  the 
meekness  and  amiability  of  her  disposition,  and  listened 
to  her  soft  and  silvery  tones  ringing  in  his  ear,  that 
"still  small  voice"  was  silenced,  and  his  soul  was  kin- 
dled with  a  desire  akin  to  that  which  first  he  felt- for  her 
mother  when  in  the  vigor  and  warmth  of  youth. 

Since  his  arrival  in  Venice  he  had  yielded  entire  sway 
to  his  propensity  for  gaming,  and  in  his  associate  Cap- 
tain Harris,  had  found  one  who  was  in  various  respects 
his  superior.  Col.  Lanier  had  seen  too  much  of  the 
world  not  to  have  noticed  that  Captain  Harris  was  in- 
terested in  Lily  White,  and  doubtless  this  had  influenced 
11* 


130  LILY     WHITE. 

him  to  hasten  toward  the  accomplishment  of  that  design 
which  had  long  filled  his  mind,  but  which  till  now  he  had 
not  possessed  the  hardihood  to  prosecute.  Accordingly, 
a  few  hours  previous  to  the  time  when  the  sisters  were 
seated  on  the  balcony  had  afforded  him  an  opportunity 
to  make  known  to  Lily  his  wish. 

Fanny  was  out,  enjoying  her  accustomed  evening  ride, 
in  company  with  the  Captain,  Lily  remaining  in-doors  to 
finish  a  garment  upon  which  she  was  engaged,  when  Col. 
Lanier  unexpectedly  entered  the  apartment  and  con- 
fronted the  trembling  girl.  To  poor  Lily  it  was  a  mo- 
ment of  horror,  for  the  altered  conduct  of  her  guardian 
had  awakened  fears  which  haunted  her  day  and  night. 

It  is  quite  impossible  to  describe  the  feelings  of  Lily 
when  the  real  object  of  the  visit  was  made  known.  Col. 
Lanier  was  himself  much  confused,  and  with  considera- 
ble embarrassment  stammered  forth  something  of  an 
apology  for  interrupting  her  in  the  pursuance  of  her 
labor. 

He  informed  her  how  much  he  had  regarded  her  since 
she  was  a  prattling  infant,  how  he  had  loved  her  as  his 
own  child,  how  tenderly  he  had  guarded  her  interest  and 
cherished  her  as  he  would  have  done  a  beautiful  flower. 
Like  a  shrewd  diplomatist  he  told,  in  a  sympathizing 
tone,  of  her  condition  in  life,  delicately  hinted  at  the 
great  debt  of  gratitude  she  was  under  to  him,  and  finally 
concluded  by  asking  Lily  if  she  could  not  find  it  in  her 
heart  to  reciprocate  a  love  pure  and  undefiled. 

"  Remember,  Lily,  my  kindness  to  you  throughout 
your  past  life,  and  let  not  the  difference  in  our  age  be 
urged  as  a  barrier  to  the  dearest  object  of  my  life,  for 
you  have  every  reason  to  know  that  I  would  be  as  indul- 


LILY     WHITE.  131 

gent  as  a  husband  as  I  have  been  as  a  father.  Many  a 
maiden  younger  than  yourself  has  happily  wedded  a  man 
older  than  myself." 

While  Col.  Lanier  was  addressing  Lily  she  sat  pale 
and  silent,  with  her  eyes  bent  in  grief  and  shame  upon 
the  floor.  When  he  had  finished  the  blood  mounted  in 
a  crimson  tide  to  her  brow  and  cheeks,  and  giving  vent 
to  her  feelings  in  tears,  she  said : — 

"  Oh  !  sir,  you  know  not  what  a  wound  you  have  in- 
flicted upon  my  heart !  Col.  Lanier — for  I  can  never, 
will  never  again  call  you  by  the  holy  and  sacred  name 
of  father — deem  me  not  incapable  of  ever  forgetting  the 
kindness  which  you  have  shown  me,  nor  ungrateful  for 
the  interest  you  have  exhibited  toward  me  and  mine. 
Could  I  cease  to  remember  these  I  should  be  forgetful  of 
myself;  but  all  your  kindness  and  sympathy  cannot  out- 
weigh the  sorrow  which  you  now  bring  upon  a  weak  and 
defenceless  orphan  child.  Would  you  boast  of  those 
favors  as  a  price  which  is  to  purchase  my  happiness  and 
love  ?  Oh  !  sir,  I  have  looked  upon  you  as  a  father ;  and 
as  such  have  confided  in  you.  By  the  proposition  you 
have  made,  you  not  only  insult  me,  but  the  memory  of 
my  sainted  mother.  Go,  sir ;  leave  me ;  I  loathe  you  as 
I  do  a  viper,  and  can  never  more  respect  the  man  who 
can  violate  every  principle  of  honor  and  trample  under 
foot  the  feelings  of  one  who  has  been  to  him  a  daughter, 
and  even  wrong  the  memory  of  the  dear  departed." 

When  Lily  finished  she  trembled  with  excitement, 
and  had  unconsciously  risen  from  her  seat.  Her  eyes 
sparkled  with  indignation,  and  her  heaving  bosom  indi- 
cated the  raging  of  a  storm  within  which  no  language 
could  portray. 


132  LILY     WHITE. 

Col.  Lanier  was  for  once  daunted.  He  did  not  ex- 
pect the  affair  to  take  such  a  serious  issue.  He  looked 
upon  Lily  as  one  of  the  mildest-tempered  creatures 
living,  and  was  therefore  astonished  when  she  turned 
upon  him  with  so  much  vigor,  truth,  and  spirit.  He 
was  prepared  to  expect  a  flood  of  tears  ;  but  on  behold- 
ing the  flashing  eye  and  agitated  frame  of  Lily  he  was 
as  much  surprised  as  if  a  magazine  had  exploded  about 
his  ears.  Being  ignorant  himself  of  those  lofty  and 
noble  feelings  which  belong  to  a  delicate  and  refined 
mind,  he  had  no  idea  that  they  existed  in  any  other 
nature.  To  him  love  was  another  name  for  speculation. 
He  flattered  himself  that  any  repugnance  Lily  might 
have  at  first  to  such  a  union  could  easily  be  overcome 
by  kindness  and  promises  of  wealth  and  station.  He 
had  never  analyzed  the  difference  between  true  love  and 
warm  desire ;  between  that  holy  flame  which  mantles 
the  cheek  with  rosy  hues,  lights  the  eye  with  a  heavenly 
gleam,  and  fills  the  soul  with  exstatic  joy,  and  that  feel- 
ing which  writes  dishonor  upon  the  maiden's  brow, 
stamps  sorrow  upon  her  heart,  and  opens  for  her  an 
early  grave,  cold,  dismal,  and  cheerless  !  Of  the  gentle 
and  happy  influence  of  the  former  he  was  ignorant; 
with  the  wild  and  turbulent  character  of  the  latter  he 
was  well  acquainted.  Finally,  Col.  Lanier  gained  suf- 
ficient mastery  over  his  feelings  to  reply. 

"  Indeed,  Lily,  you  talk  like  a  child ;  as  if  I  had  done 
you  a  great  wrong  instead  of  a  great  honor.  Is  it  an 
outrage  that  I  should  proffer  you  my  love  and  make  you 
the  sharer  of  my  wealth  and  influence?" 

"Col.  Lanier,"  replied  Lily,  "I  will  hear  no  more 


LILY     WHITE.  133 

upon  this  unpleasant  subject.  You  will  oblige  me,  sir, 
by  leaving  me." 

"What!"  said  he,  "am  I  to  be  repulsed,  insulted, 
and  or'dered  from  the  presence  of  a  girl  whom  I  have 
raised?  Know,  Lily  White,  with  whom  you  have  to 
deal !  I  am  not  to  be  thwarted  in  my  desire,  and  I 
will  for  once  exert  that  authority  which  rests  in  me. 
You  shall  obey." 

"Sir,"  said  Lily,  "have  you  forgotten  the  promise 
which  you  made  to  my  poor  mother  upon  her  solemn 
deathbed,  that  you  would  be  my  protector ;  that  you 
would  shield  me  from  the  rude  winds  of  adversity  and 
guard  me  from  evil  all  the  days  of  my  life  ?  Have  you 
forgotten  that  promise  ?  Would  you  now,  here,  far 
from  the  friends  of  my  youth,  in  a  strange  city,  raise 
against  my  happiness  the  hand  that  should  protect  me? 
It  cannot  be ;  you  must  be  under  some  magic  influence. 
I  will  not  believe  that  you,  who  have  been  so  kind  to 
me,  can  desire  to  mar  my  peace  of  mind  and  break  in 
upon  the  tranquillity  of  my  life." 

"I  have  not,"  said  Col.  Lanier,  "forgotten  that  pro- 
mise, and  the  union  I  propose  will  the  better  enable  me 
to  fulfill  that  vow.  I  have  in  no  manner  violated  the 
trust  reposed  in  me.  I  have  protected  you  through 
your  girlhood,  and  now  that  you  are  a  woman  I  offer  to 
be  your  guardian  through  life.  What  say  you  now, 
Lily?" 

"That  I  will  never,"  said  she,  "become  your  wife. 
Rather  than  call  you  husband,  I  would  lead  a  lonely 
life  and  drag  out  the  remnant  of  my  days  in  poverty 
and  want.  I  am  a  poor,  delicate  girl,  I  know ;  but  my 
trust  is  in  Him  who  careth  for  the  widow  and  the 


134  LILY     WHITE. 

orphan,  and  He  will  build  up  my  strength  and  enable 
me  to  overcome  all  difficulties  and  triumph  over  all  my 
enemies.  I  have  ever  been  obedient  to  you,  but  before 
I  will  obey  you  in  this  I  will  cast  myself  into  the  canal 
and  let  my  body  be  drifted  to  the  sea,  a  prey  to  the 
monsters  of  the  deep ;  and  unless  you  wish  to  drive  me 
mad,  you  will  never  mention  this  subject  again." 
(  "  Lily  White,  hear  me  once  for  all.  I  am  not  to  be 
trifled  with  in  this  foolish  manner.  Choose  you,  there- 
fore, between  two  evils.  You  either  marry  me,  or 
forthwith  enter  a  convent."  ) 

\"  Neither  the  one  nor  the  other  will  I  do.  I  intend 
to  confer  my  hand  upon  one  whom  I  can  honor  and 
love,  and,  as  a  Protestant,  I  will  never  submit  to  the 
confessional,  genuflexions,  and  mockeries  of  the  Romish 

faith." ) 

******* 

This  conversation,  so  harrowing  to  the  soul  of  Lily, 
was  interrupted  by  the  merry  voice  of  Fanny  below. 
Col.  Lanier  hurriedly  left  the  room,  and  Lily  had  barely 
time  to  master  her  feelings,  when  Fanny  entered. 

Is  it  strange,  then,  that  Lily  did  not  wish  to  make  her 
sister  acquainted  with  the  cause  of  her  suffering ;  when 
by  so  doing  she  would  mortify  her  and  injure  her  father 
in  her  eyes  ? 

Lily  suppressed  her  feelings  by  degrees,  and  chang- 
ing the  subject  of  their  conversation  spoke  of  their  past 
lives :  how  joyous  and  happy  they  were  when  walking 
together  on  those  calm  and  balmy  evenings,  gazing  out 
upon  the  broad  and  majestic  prairie,  or  galloping  in  glee 
over  its  smooth  and  flowery  surface.  Those  days,  alas ! 
had  flown,  while  in  their  stead  remained  only  the  fond 


LILY     WHITE.  135 

and  cherished  remembrance  of  those  hours  which,  amid 
the  darkest  storms  of  life,  would  ever  glow  as  bright 
beacon-lights,  that  no  sorrow  could  dim  and  no  misfor- 
tune extinguish. 

"  Oh !"  said  Lily,  "how  I  long  once  more  to  behold 
the  sun  go  down  as  on  that  evening  when  our  mother 
died ;  to  inhale  the  breeze  from  the  distant  gulf,  laden 
with  the  aroma  of  flowers  ;  to  listen  to  the  song  of  birds, 
and  the  low,  sweet  murmur  of  bees  ;  to  watch  the  clouds 
floating  up  from  the  far-off  horizon ;  to  caress  honest 
Charley,  my  pony,  and  to  kneel  once  again  by  our 
mother's  grave  !  But,  sister  Fanny,  something  whispers 
to  me  this  will  never  be,  but  that  clouds  of  gloom  and 
sorrow  will  gather  over  me,  and  that  my  pathway  will 
be  amid  strangers,  darkness,  and  misfortune." 

"  Sister  Lily,  you  are  not  well.  I  am  fearful  that 
your  mind  is  somewhat  wrong,  else  how  could  you  talk 
as  you  just  have  done." 

"  Have  no  fears  of  that,  my  dearest  sister,"  said  Lily; 
"  you  know  that  many  have  often  been  impressed  with 
the  approach  of  calamity,  and  even  death  itself, — and 
they  both  have  come.  Life  is  yet  a  great  mystery, 
sealed  from  human  wisdom  and  science.  Some  there 
are  who  seemed  to  have  been  gifted  with  prophetic 
power,  which  enabled  them  to  gaze  into  the  future  and 
unravel  only  as  much  of  that  mystery  as  related  to 
themselves.  I  do  not  say  that  I  am  one  of  those,  but 
this  I  know,  my  kind,  sweet  sister,  that  a  dark  wing  is 
hovering  over  me,  and  even  now  its  shadow  is  on  my 
heart." 

"  Lily,  do  not  talk  thus ;  but  come,  let  us  retire  to 
our  room :  rest  and  sleep  may  restore  your  peace 


136  LILY     WHITE. 

and  spirits.  You  are  so  good  and  kind  to  everything, 
that  I  am  sure  nothing  can  come  to  you  but  what  will 
bring  you  joy  and  perfect  happiness." 

"  But  ere  we  go,  tell  me,  Fanny,  if  any  misfortune 
should  arise  which  will  be  the  means  of  separating  us, 
will  you  remember  your  poor  sister  Lily,  and  often  pray 
for  her  ?  Will  you,  my  gentle  sister,  forgive  wherein 
she  has  erred,  and  cherish  whatever  of  good  she  has 
done  ?" 

"  How  can  you  ask  such  questions,  Lily  ?  You  know 
how  dearly  I  love  you,  and  I  could  not  if  I  would  forget 
your  kindness  and  your  love.  Give  yourself  no  more 
trouble,  Lily ;  you  will  be  better  to-morrow,  and  then  we 
will  laugh  and  sing  as  we  have  often  done  before." 

With  this  Fanny  kissed  the  noble  and  beautiful  brow 
of  her  troubled  sister,  and  they  left  the  balcony ;  Fanny 
to  her  maiden  dreams,  and  Lily,  in  the  silence  of  the 
midnight  hour,  to  think  upon  all  that  day  had  revealed 
and  to  meditate  upon  those  trials  which  were  beginning 
to  becloud  the  future  of  her  life. 

******** 

It  is  now  time  we  should  return  to  Eugene  Saunders, 
whom  we  left  seated  in  his  room  inditing  letters  to  his 
absent  friends.  He  had  not  been  long  engaged  when  a 
little  incident  occurred  which  served  to  interrupt  his 
pleasant  duties.  He  was  seated  quietly  by  his  table 
when  his  attention  was  drawn  to  a  cautious  rapping  at 
the  door  of  an  adjoining  room.  At  first  it  was  so  low 
and  indistinct  that  he  thought  it  was  at  his  own  door, 
but  listening  more  attentively  he  soon  discovered  his 
mistake.  To  a  man  situated  as  Eugene  was  the  slightest 
cause  was  sufficient  to  arouse  his  suspicion  and  to  place 


LILY     WHITE.  137 

him  upon  the  defensive.  The  raps  which  he  heard  were 
not  those  of  a  man  whose  business  was  correct  and  pro- 
per, but  of  one  who  wished  to  be  cautious,  prudent,  and 
secret.  Instinctively  this  thought  flashed  through  Eu- 
gene's mind,  and  at  once  influenced  him  to  ascertain  the 
cause,  if  possible,  of  this  sly  manoeuvre. 

The  space  of  about  six  feet  separated  his  door  from 
that  at  which  the  individual  stood,  and  silently  approach- 
ing his  door  he  cautiously  peeped  through  the  key-hole. 
By  this  time  the  one  opposite  opened  and  Eugene  dis- 
tinctly heard  the  person  who  opened  the  door  say  : — 

"Is  it  you,  Father  Pietro  ?  I  had  almost  given  you 
up.  Walk  in  and  have  a  seat." 

Eugene  thought  he  recognized  the  features  of  Col. 
Lanier,  but  was  not  certain,  only  having  seen  him  once, 
and  then,  as  the  reader  doubtless  remembers,  under 
peculiar  and  exciting  circumstances. 

"Well,"  said  he  to  himself,  "what  can  be  the  mean- 
ing of  this  visit.  Wherever  lurks  a  priest  there  is  sure 
to  be  foul  work  on  hand,  and  inasmuch  as  they  watch  me, 
I  suppose  tit  for  tat  is  fair.  I'll  see  what  is  to  pay." 

Thus  soliloquizing  he  slowly  opened  his  door  and  crept 
silently  to  the  one  adjacent,  and,  placing  his  ear  at  the 
key-hole,  listened  to  what  was  passing  within. 

A  table  was  drawn  to  a  convenient  place  in  the  room 
of  Col.  Lanier,  on  which  was  placed  a  decanter  of  spark- 
ling wine  and  two  glasses.  The  Colonel  graciously 
greeted  Father  Pietro,  and  seemed  anxious  to  gain  his 
good  will. 

After  a  few  common-place  remarks,  Father  Pietro 
said,-- 

"  I  received  your  note  this  evening,  and  you  see  I  am 
12 


138  LILY     WHITE. 


punctual  to  the  hour  therein  named.  I  left  the  confes- 
sional to  serve  you,  and  hope  it  may  be  within  my  power 
to  benefit  you  either  in  a  spiritual  or  temporal  point  of 
view." 

As  he  said  this  his  eye  glanced  at  the  sparkling  wine 
which  stood  within  his  reach. 

Col.  Lanier  saw  the  motion  of  the  priest's  eyes,  and 
asked  him  to  take  a  glass,  saying,  — 

"  It  will  do  you  good,  father,  after  your  walk." 

Father  Pietro  did  not  need  a  second  invitation,  but 
filling  a  glass  to  the  brim  turned  its  sparkling  contents 
off  as  if  he  was  used  to  the  operation. 

"Father  Pietro,"  said  Col.  Lanier,  "I  have  sent  for 
you  to  consult  with  you  upon  a  matter  of  the  highest 
importance  to  my  peace  and  happiness.  But  it  is  a  sub- 
ject for  no  other  ears  save  your's  and  mine.  Do  you 
understand,  father?" 

"  I  have  transacted  too  much  business  of  this  kind 
not  to  comprehend  your  meaning.  But  before  I  can 
make  any  promise  I  must  hear  what  the  affair  is  con- 
cerning which  you  wish  to  bind  me  to  secrecy." 

"It  concerns  a  refractory  ward  and  myself  only," 
said  Col.  Lanier. 

"Oh!  you  wish  to  bring  her  to  terms,  do  you?"  an- 
swered the  priest. 

"  I  do,  and  to  accomplish  this  end  I  am  willing  to  pay 
you  handsomely  for  any  service  you  may  be  kind  enough 
to  render." 

At  this  practical  suggestion  the  father's  eye  sparkled, 
and  a  smile  lit  his  ghastly  face. 

"My  ward,"  continued  Col.  Lanier,  "is  a  young  lady 
whom  I  have  raised  ;  and,  to  make  a  long  matter  short, 


LILY     WHITE.  139 

I  am  foolish  enough  to  have  my  affections  set  upon  her 
hand,  and  she  has  been  still  more  foolish  peremptorily  to 
scorn  my  offer  and  to  spurn  me  from  her  presence.  I 
am  bound  by  a  promise  to  protect  and  guard  her,  and  I 
have  offered  her  the  means  of  that  support  and  protec- 
tion. I  informed  her  that  she  might  choose  between 
myself  and  a  convent.  Holy  father,  join  me  in  a  glass 
of  wine." 

They  emptied  their  glasses,  and  Pietro  answered, — 

"What  said  she  to  that?". 

"  That  neither  would  she  do." 

"  I  am  afraid,"  said  the  priest,  "  while  you  have  cared 
for  her  temporal  you  have  neglected  her  spiritual  wants. 
She  needs,  sir,  a  spiritual  adviser,  to  direct  her  in  the 
path  of  rectitude  and  to  teach  her  submission  and  obe- 
dience." 

"  That  was  the  reason  I  sent  for  you,  holy  father ;  to 
know,  in  case  she  would  not  accept  my  proposition, 
whether  or  not  you  would  take  charge  of  her  and  teach 
her  the  way  she  should  go.  The  wine  is  mild,  holy 
father,  join  me  again." 

Already  Pietro's  face  was  a  little  flushed  from  his  pre- 
vious potations,  but  he  quaffed  again  as  if  that  was  his 
first  drink. 

"As  a  holy  priest  of  Rome  I  never  shrink  from 
duties,  however  unpleasant." 

"  Think  you  can  accomplish  my  object  ?"  said  Col. 
Lanier. 

"We  seldom  fail  when  we  .have  the  proper  incentives 
to  action.  To  accomplish  the  desired  result  you  must 
grant  us  discretionary  powers.  Pious  examples  may 
avail  nothing  in  her  case,  and  unless  you  are  willing  to 


140  LILY     WHITE. 

place  her  under  our  authority  the  scheme  will  likely 
prove  a  failure." 

"To  make  her  my  wife,"  said  Col.  Lanier,  "is  the 
dearest  object  of  my  life,  and  I  am  willing,  holy  fa- 
ther, to  leave  this  matter  to  your  guidance  and  godly 
counsel." 

Pietro,  judging  from  his  looks,  was  delighted  with  this 
arrangement,  for,  doubtless,  he  was  pleased  to  have  an- 
other victim  within  his  power  upon  whom  he  might  exer- 
cise his  authority  and  upon  whom  he  might  practice  his 
diabolical  designs. 

It  was  agreed  between  them,  over  another  potation  of 
wine,  that  unless  Lily  White  agreed  to  Col.  Earner's 
proposition  she  should  in  two  nights  from  that  time  be 
conducted  to  the  convent  over  which  Father  Pietro  had 
the  supervision  and  control. 

During  this  conversation  Eugene  had  been  a  listener 
at  the  door,  and  not  a  word  had  escaped  his  eager  ear. 
He  was  indignant,  and  felt  every  feeling  of  his  young 
and  generous  nature  rise  up  against  the  calm  diplomacy 
of  those  two  men,  who  thus  were  deliberately  plotting 
against  the  peace  and  happiness  of  a  defenceless  girl. 

The  holy  father  was  now  evidently  under  the  influence 
of  wine,  for  his  conversation  was  broken  and  incoherent, 
and  he  had  to  a  considerable  extent  put  aside  that  mock 
gravity  and  dignity  which  savored  so  much  of  the  dis- 
sembling hypocrite  and  cunning  priest. 

Some  time  was  consumed  in  making  suitable  arrange- 
ments for  the  execution  of  their  foul  plan,  which  was  to 
rob  a  kind-hearted  and  noble  maiden  of  liberty.  At 
length  Father  Pietro  rose  to  depart.  Col.  Lanier 
opened  the  door  for  his  exit,  and  had  returned  to  bring 


LILT     WHITE.  141 

his  candle  to  light  the  tipsy  priest  down  stairs,  which 
commenced  the  descent  about  two  steps  from  the  door. 
But  ere  he  could  return  Pietro  met  with  an  accident 
which  came  near  costing  him  his  life. 

When  Eugene  saw  Pietro  step  without  the  door  he 
could  not  forego  the  temptation  to  teach  the  hypocrite  a 
lesson,  and  striking  him  with  all  his  force  sent  him  tum- 
bling down  the  stairway,  crying  aloud  for  help.  In  an 
instant  Eugene  was  within  his  room.  Col.  Lanier  rushed 
after  the  priest,  thinking  that  the  holy  father  had  made 
an  unlucky  blunder,  and,  being  already  topheavy  from 
his  frequent  libations,  had  fallen  down  the  steps.  Several 
servants,  aroused  by  the  sound  of  something  heavy  roll- 
ing down  the  stairway,  and  hearing  the  cry  of  "  help ! 
help  !"  rushed  to  the  scene. 

"  Oh  !  my  head,  my  head  !"  said  the  priest. 

"What  is  the  matter,  sir?"  demanded  Col.  Lanier. 

"What  is  the  matter!"  said  Pietro;  "why  did  you 
knock  me  down  the  steps?" 

"  I,  sir  ?  you  are  mistaken ;  you  are  stunned  from 
your  fall.  You  will  be  better  directly." 

"  Somebody  struck  me  on  the  head.  Oh !  my  side, 
my  side !" 

They  conducted  Pietro  into  an  adjoining  room,  and 
after  some  further  care  and  attention  it  was  discovered 
that  he  was  worse  frightened  than  hurt.  It  is  enough, 
that  the  holy  father  had  to  be  conveyed  to  his  room ;  but 
whether  this  precaution  arose  from  the  stroke  upon  his 
reverend  head  or  from  another  cause,  must  ever  remain 
wrapt  in  mystery.  We  will  only  mention,  for  the  sake 
of  the  curious,  that  nobody  who  saw  Pietro  credited  his 
story  of  having  received  a  blow. 
12* 


142  LILY     WHITE. 

"Well,"  said  Eugene,  after  entering  his  room,  "I 
have  given  him  part  payment  in  advance.  "  I  am  still 
ifi  his  debt  for  the  manner  in  which  he  slandered  me 
to-day  while  I  was  in  that  dusty  closet  of  Castruccio's. 
Maybe  I  will  be  even  with  him  yet.  I  guessed  right : 
there  is  foul  work  on  foot  between  those  men.  I  will,  if 
it  comes  within  my  power,  thwart  their  plans  and  save 
an  innocent  girl  from  an  unworthy  wretch." 


CHAPTER  XIII. 

Assembling  in  St.  Mark's, 
All  nations  met  as  on  enchanted  ground. 

EOGEES. 

THE  morning  following  the  incidents  mentioned  in 
the  preceding  chapter,  was  bright,  serene,  and  beautiful. 
The  sun  shone  forth  in  all  his  splendor.  Eugene,  not- 
withstanding the  lateness  of  the  hour  at  which  he  had 
retired,  was  up  by  the  time  the  risen  sun  had  flushed 
the  waters  of  the  Lagunes  and  tinged  the  bronzed 
horses  upon  the  Palace  of  St.  Mark.  He  walked  forth 
upon  the  balcony  to  catch  the  fresh,  invigorating  sea- 
breeze,  and  to  watch  the  snowy  sails  in  the  distance, 
rising  and  falling  upon  the  restless  billows. 

Even  at  this  early  hour  many  gondolas  were  gliding 
along  the  canals  in  various  directions.  The  gondoliers 
seemed  inspired  with  a  new  zeal,  and  with  joy  and  glee 
poured  forth  their  songs.  Eugene,  while  he  stood  gaz- 
ing down  upon  the  scene,  thought  he  had  never  before 


LILY     WHITE.  143 

beheld  one  so  fair  and  transcendently  beautiful :  the 
towers  and  domes  sparkling  in  the  morning  sun;  the 
Gothic  architecture  with  its  solemn  grandeur ;  the 
Rialto  gracefully  spanning  the  canal ;  the  sails  of  the 
distant  vessels  on  the  heaving  bosom  of  the  Adriatic ; 
the  gliding  of  the  gondolas,  and  the  floating  clouds  pur- 
pled and  beautified  by  the  first  golden  blush  of  morning, 
presented  a  magnificent  view.  Eugene  stood  charmed 
— enchanted.  He  had  stood  upon  the  Fiesole, 

"  Whence  Galileo's  glass  by  night  observed 
The  phases  of  the  moon ;" 

had  lingered  in  the  poetic  vale  of  the  Arno ;  had  paused 
amid  scenes  immortalized  by  the  pencil  of  the  painter 
and  the  pen  of  the  poet ;  and  had  beheld  spots  dignified 
by  the  tread  of  genius  and  the  tramp  of  victorious 
armies  !  He  had  lifted  his  admiring  eyes  to  the  proud 
and  glittering  dome  of  St.  Peter's  Church,  flashing,  like 
burnished  silver,  in  the  evening  sun,  and  had  seen  it 
blazing  in  splendor,  illuminated  by  "four  thousand  four 
hundred  lamps,"  until  every  statue  upon  that  noble 
structure  glowed  with  beauty  and  brilliancy.  But  all 
those  scenes  of  loveliness  and  grandeur  did  not  so  chain 
his  soul  as  the  one  upon  which  he  that  morning  bent 
his  eyes.  In  it  there  was  so  much  of  nature's  glorious 
perfection,  mingled  with  an  air  of  Oriental  splendor,  that 
it  held  him  captivated — spell-bound. 

That  was  a  gala-day  in  Venice,  and  the  festival  was 
to  be  concluded  at  night  by  a  splendid  and  brilliant  fete 
upon  the  grand  square  of  St.  Mark.  Eugene  had  heard 
much  of  those  sumptuous  and  brilliant  festivities,  hence 
he  resolved  to  attend.  After  breakfast  he  set  out  to 


144  LILY     WHITE. 

pay  a  visit  to  his  friend  Castruccio,  to  whom  he  intended 
to  report  all  that  had  transpired  on  the  previous  night, 
and  to  ask  his  advice  relative  to  a  matter  which  he  con- 
sidered of  vital  importance  both  to  himself  and  others. 

Eugene  was  not  met  at  the  door  by  the  charming 
Rosetta,  but  found  in  her  place  a  tall  waiter,  who 
ushered  him  into  the  same  room  he  had  occupied  on  the 
previous  day.  Castruccio,  with  a  pleasant  smile  and 
kind  words,  welcomed  Eugene. 

"  I  am  delighted  to  see  you  this  morning,  Signore 
Saunders  !  Hope  you  have  been  well  since  we  parted, 
and  that  you  have  entirely  recovered  from  your  brief 
imprisonment  yesterday?" 

"I  am  sound  again,  I  thank  you,"  said  Eugene; 
"  but  doubtless  that  is  more  than  the  individual  can 
say  who  caused  my  confinement." 

"What!"  said  Castruccio,  somewhat  alarmed,  "you 
do  not  mean  to  say  that  you  have  seen  Pietro  since  you 
left  my  roof?" 

"I  have,"  answered  Eugene. 

"  And  have  had  a  difficulty  with  him?"  eagerly  asked 
the  merchant. 

"  No,  sir,  not  exactly  that ;  but  the  opportunity  pre- 
sented itself,  and  remembering  his  foul  slanders  against 
my  honor  and  bravery,  I  let  him  feel  the  force  of  this 
strong  right  arm,  which  sent  the  drunken  hypocrite 
down  a  flight  of  steps  crying  loudly  for  help." 

"Explain  yourself,"  said  the  merchant. 

Eugene  did  as  requested,  and  informed  Castruccio  of 
all  the  events  which  were  narrated  in  the  last  chapter. 
When  he  finished,  Castruccio  laughed  heartily  at  the 
droll  humor  with  which  Eugene  portrayed  the  fall  of 


LILY     WHITE.  145 

the  drunken  priest,  and  the  consternation  which  was 
created  throughout  the  hotel. 

"Well,"  said  Castruccio,  "that  is  worth  a  consider- 
able sum.  I  am  glad  you  served  him  thus :  it  is  no 
more  than  he  deserved." 

"It  was  not,"  said  Eugene,  "strictly  speaking,  a 
mark  of  bravery  to  strike  a  man  in  the  dark ;  but  I 
could  not  help  it ;  the  inclination  came  over  me  in  an  in- 
stant, and  before  I  had  time  to  reason  upon  the  policy 
and  morality  of  the  action,  down  went  the  priest." 

"You  served  him  right,"  said  the  merchant;  "but  if 
this  affair  gets  upon  the  wind,  it  will  augment  your  dan- 
gers and  difficulties." 

"Has  Rosetta  returned?"  inquired  Castruccio  of  the 
waiter,  who,  at  that  moment,  passed  through  the  room. 

"  She  has  not,  signore,"  answered  the  waiter. 

"She  tarries  late  upon  the  canals,"  said  the  mer- 
chant ;  "  this  is  a  day  of  festivity,  and  my  daughter,  in 
company  with  a  friend,  went  forth  to  mingle  with  the 
gay  crowd  upon  the  water.  To-night  there  will  be  a 
grand  masquerade  upon  the  Square  of  St.  Mark,  to 
celebrate  the  approach  of  Easter  Sunday;  will  you 
attend?" 

"I  desire  to  be  present,  but,  where  all  go  masked, 
how  am  I  to  know  friend  from  foe?" 

"  That  can  be  readily  arranged,"  said  the  merchant; 
"  my  daughter  and  myself  will  wear  a  blue  badge,  upon 
our  shoulders." 

"  And  I,"  said  Eugene,  "  will  dress  in  the  character 
of  a  cavalier." 

Having  spent  a  pleasant  hour,  Eugene  summoned  a 
gondola,  and  was  soon  gliding  on  in  the  direction  of 


146  LILY     WHITE. 

the  Rialto.  The  canals  were  crowded  with  gondolas 
bearing  various  devices.  Some  were  covered  with 
flowers,  others  gorgeously  adorned  with  silken  trim- 
mings. Eugene,  as  he  mingled  with  that  vast  con- 
course, could  not  help  reverting  to  those  days  in  the 
history  of  the  Venetian  Republic  when  such  a  scene  as 
that  which  now  was  before  him  was  rife  with  bloodshed 
and  destruction.  All  now  was  gay  and  joyous.  The 
trading  saloons  exhibited  their  most  brilliant  and  daz- 
zling wares ;  the  shops  blazed  with  jewels  and  dia- 
monds ;  banners  floated  gracefully  from  balconies  and 
domes,  and  fluttered  their  silken  folds  in  the  morning 
breeze ;  the  bridges  were  thronged  with  admiring 
thousands ;  handkerchiefs  waved  from  windows,  music 
floated  on  the  air,  and  the  hum  of  many  voices  mingled 
in  one  mighty  concert.  At  one  moment  Eugene  would 
meet  a  gondola  filled  with  lively  maidens  ;  at  the  next, 
another  bearing  some  proud  and  haughty  Austrian  sol- 
dier, his  glittering  sword  and  epaulettes  presenting  a 
striking  contrast  to  everything  around.  Amid  this  vast 
and  brilliant  scene  Eugene  passed  the  morning,  and  it 
was  considerably  beyond  noon  when  he  regained  his 
room. 

The  day  passed  slowly  away.  To  many  an  anxious 
individual  the  sun  seemed  to  stand  still  in  the  heavens, 
and  even  to  those  less  interested  the  hours  moved 
slowly.  At  length,  however,  the  king  of  day  sunk  to 
rest  amid  a  bank  of  crimson  and  golden  clouds  which 
borrowed  their  gorgeous  hues  from  his  dying  rays.  It  was 
such  an  evening  as  we  might  imagine  first  hovered  over 
Paradise !  A  few  fleecy  clouds  were  scattered  overhead, 
while  the  bank,  toward  sunset,  was  every  moment  chang- 


LILY     WHITE.  147 

ing  in  form  and  color.  Eugene  gazed  upon  those  clouds 
until  his  fancy  caught  their  glow.  Now  they  would 
heave  themselves  aloft  in  varied  and  fantastic  forms, 
until  a  splendid  city  lay  in  majestic  beauty  along  the 
western  sky.  That  was  indeed,  a  faery  city !  Its  tem- 
ples were  of  gold,  its  streets  of  silver,  and  its  gates  of 
pearl. 

"Was  it  a  reflection,"  thought  Eugene,  "of  that  new 
Jerusalem,  that  city  not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the 
heavens?" 

Now  that  city  blazed  as  if  in  conflagration,  and  melted 
from  the  sky ! 

"Thus,"  thought  he,  "do  our  brightest  hopes  and 
our  fondest  aspirations  fade  away." 

The  breeze  died  away,  while  the  gentle  zephyr  would 
not  have  ruffled  the  down  upon  the  oriole's  breast. 
Through  a  rift  in  the  clouds  the  sun  once  more  darted 
his  last  dying  ray  upon  the  world,  as  if  in  token  of  a 
tender  farewell  and  a  promise  of  his  return,  and  Venice 
was  flooded  with  a  mild  splendor  that  cannot  be  truth- 
fully described.  For  an  instant,  the  spires,  domes, 
minarets,  and  steeples  of  temples,  palaces,  churches, 
and  convents,  caught  the  glow,  and  reflected  the  bril- 
liancy from  their  summits  to  the  waves  below.  Here  a 
splendid  church,  hoary  with  antiquity,  stood  forth  in 
bold  relief,  its  marble  columns  suffused  with  a  flood  of 
light;  there  loomed  up  a  palace,  whose  history  has 
been  written  in  blood,  casting  its  gloomy  shadow  athwart 
the  water.  Just  as  the  beautiful  twilight, 
"  That  dim  uncertain  weather, 
Where  gloom  and  glory  meet  together," 

settled  over  Venice,  every  bell  in  the  city  sent  forth  its 


148  LILY     WHITE. 

rich  mellow  chime  in  honor  of  the  approaching  festivity. 
Long  did  the  silvery  chime  of  those  bells  linger  on  the 
air ! 

Eugene  dressed  himself  as  a  cavalier,  and  patiently 
awaited  the  hour  of  his  departure.  Other  thoughts  save 
an  idle  curiosity  were  animating  his  bosom.  The  image 
of  the  fair  young  girl  whom  he  had  rescued  from  a 
watery  grave  was  haunting  his  mind,  and  he  hoped  an 
opportunity  would  present  itself  for  him  to  renew  an 
acquaintance  which  had  its  beginning  under  such  unaus- 
picious  circumstances.  Moreover,  he  had  some  misgiv- 
ings that  this  beautiful  girl  was  the  person  against  whom 
those  two  men  were  plotting  on  the  previous  night. 

Through  the  deep  and  gathering  twilight  he  saw  the 
coming  and  going  of  gondolas,  and  finally  set  out  him- 
self to  the  festival  upon  the  square  of  St.  Mark. 

When  Eugene  arrived,  the  amusements  of  the  evening 
had  commenced.  The  scene  that  flashed  upon  him,  as 
he  passed  through  the  lofty  arches  of  the  palace  into  the 
open  square,  was  one  of  unrivaled  splendor !  Lights 
streamed  from  every  window  and  balcony  and  flooded 
the  whole  court  with  dazzling  brilliancy.  As  Eugene 
stepped  from  beneath  the  grand  Gothic  archway  that  led 
to  the  square,  he  paused  in  wonder  and  amazement  to 
contemplate  the  scene  that  met  his  view.  At  first  he 
was  almost  blinded  by  the  glare  and  glitter  of  the  lights, 
but  by  degrees  his  eyes  became  accustomed  to  the  bril- 
liancy, and  he  for  a  moment  elevated  his  mask  that  he 
might  the  better  enjoy  the  noble  prospect. 

Groups  of  masks  were  scattered  here  and  there,  some 
engaged  in  animated  conversation,  others  promenading 
slowly  backward  and  forward,  occasionally  pausing 


LILY     WHITE.  149 

before  some  one  of  the  booths  to  admire  the  articles 
therein  exposed  for  sale.  Eugene  was  struck  with  the 
number  of  characteristic  representations  that  passed  and 
repassed  before  him.  Here  was  a  gipsy  in  a  broad- 
brimmed  hat,  with  a  basket  of  flowers  upon  her  arm ; 
there  proudly  marched  a  knight,  his  armor  glittering 
in  the  light  and  his  haughty  manner  proclaiming  him  to 
belong  to  the  days  of  Louis  XII.  The  bold  robber 
mingled  freely  with  the  crowd,  and  passed  sir  knight 
without  awakening  his  ire  or  causing  him  to  elevate  his 
lance.  Here  was  the  Turk,  the  Jew,  and  the  Armenian. 
Near  the  spot  where  Eugene  stood  a  group  had  halted 
which  particularly  claimed  his  interest  and  attention. 
It  consisted  of  four  individuals,  two  ladies  and  two  gen- 
tlemen. One  of  the  ladies  represented  the  beautiful  and 
unfortunate  Mary,  Queen  of  Scotts,  the  other  was  ap- 
propriately dressed  as  her  attendant.  The  queen  was 
clad  in  a  black  velvet  robe,  beautifully  trimmed,  over 
which  flowed  a  veil  almost  reaching  to  the  ground.  So 
well  did  the  dejected  manner  and  dress  represent  the 
unfortunate  Mary,  that  Eugene,  for  a  moment,  almost 
believed  that  he  saw  before  him  the  unhappy  Queen  of 
Scotland.  The  gentlemen  who  attended  them  were 
closely  masked.  After  a  short  pause  the  four  moved 
slowly  on,  and  as  they  passed  Eugene  he  heard  the 
queen  say, — 

"Yonder  cavalier  seems  lost  in  this  brilliant  throng." 
"  He  is  arousing  his  courage,"  said  her  female  attend- 
ant, "  to  enter  the  arena  in  order  to  win  the  smiles  of 
some  fair  lady." 

"Ah!"    thought    Eugene,    "how  truly -have    you 
spoken.      I  must  indeed  present  a  gloomy  aspect,  if 
13 


150  ^          LILY     WHITE. 

those  ladies  can  read  my  heart  through  a  close  dis- 
guise." 

He  bent  his  eyes  in  the  direction  where  he  had  last 
seen  the  retreating  form  of  the  queen,  but  she  was  no 
longer  to  be  seen,  and  Eugene  was  once  more  left  to  his 
own  thoughts  and  reflections.  As  he  paused  there  the 
whole  history  of  that  gorgeous  square  rose  up  before 
him. 

He  thought  of  the  period  when  the  vigorous  and 
heroic  Henry  Dandalo,  acting  Doge,  assembled  the 
citizens  of  Venice  to  the  number  of  ten  thousand  on 
that  spacious  square,  to  listen  to  the  proposition  of  the 
Crusaders  for  the  deliverance  of  the  Holy  Sepulchre ; 
of  that  time  when  the  enraged  citizens  convened  on  that 
very  spot,  and,  by  one  unanimous  shout,  proclaimed  Ja- 
copo  Tiepolo,  Doge  of  Venice,  in  opposition  to  the 
Council,  who  held  its  meeting  in  the  palace  and  were 
even  then  balloting  for  the  election  of  Pietro  Gra- 
denigo. 

"This  very  place,"  thought  Eugene,  "which  is  now 
all  joy,  splendor,  and  brilliancy,  has  been  from  time  to 
time,  through  the  lapse  of  ages,  the  arena  not  only  of 
mirth  and  festivity,  but  also  of  riot,  confusion,  and 
death.  Here  did  Gradenigo,  having  collected  the  no- 
bles and  those  who  were  friendly  to  the  Republic,  thwart 
those  bold  and  daring  conspirators  headed  by  Boemund 
Tiepolo ;  and  here,  too,  were  suspended  on  gibbets  the 
bodies  of  strangers  from  France  and  Spain,  in  1618. 

"And  what  deeds  of  horror,"  thought  he,  elevating 
his  eyes  to  the  windows  of  the  palace,  now  blazing  with 
lamps,  "  have  been  committed  within  these  walls  !  The 
groans  of  thousands  have  been  heard  within  this  palace, 


LILY     WHITE.  151 

and  if  these  dumb  stones  could  speak  they  could  unfold  a 
tale  over  which  humanity  would  mourn.  Here  the  dreaded 
Council  of  Ten  issued  their  powerful  decrees,  which  no 
prayers,  no  tears,  no  power,  could  overcome.  Here  it 
was  that  the  old  Doge  Foscari  was  compelled  to  sit  in 
judgment  upon  his  only  surviving  son,  Jacopo,  who  had 
been  dragged  before  that  august  tribunal  to  gratify  the 
hatred  of  that  body  and  to  embitter  the  few  remaining 
days  of  his  father.  Oh!  what  must  have  been  the 
struggle  of  that  old  man,  when  he  beheld  the  stay  and 
support  of  his  declining  years,  and  the  only  survivor  of 
his  house,  stretched  upon  the  rack  and  subjected  to 
every  species  of  cruelty  that  human  ingenuity  could  dis- 
cover or  invent !  How  the  blood  must  have  rushed  to 
his  heart  when  he  listened  to  the  groans  and  beheld  the 
agonized  features,  and  saw  great  drops  of  cold  sweat 
trickling  from  the  brow  of  his  only  boy !  How  every 
feeling  of  sympathy  must  have  been  aroused,  when  he 
beheld  the  limbs  quiver,  the  eyes  roll  back,  the  muscles 
of  the  face  convulsed,  and  the  head  of  the  poor  victim 
fall  to  one  side !  How  hope  must  have  died  within  that 
father's  bosom  when  the  cry  was  raised,  '  stand  back ! 
stand  back !  water !  water !  let  not  the  victim  die  on 
our  hands !'  Here  it  was  that  that  aged  man,  his  heart 
broken  with  sorrows,  his  locks  white  in  the  service  of  his 
country,  his  form  bending  under  the  weight  of  years, 
leaning  upon  his  staff,  stepped  forth  upon  this  square, 
and,  as  the  great  bell  tolled  the  election  of  his  successor, 
fell  dead  of  a  broken  heart.  Within  the  prison-walls 
belonging  to  this  palace  was  cast  Francesco  de  Carrara, 
together  with  his  two  valiant  sons,  all  three  of  whom 
were  strangled  by  the  fearful  string." 


152  LILY     WHITE. 

These  things  passed  through  Eugene's  mind  more 
rapidly  than  we  have  related  them ;  and  while  thus 
meditating  upon  the  past  history  of  the  Square  of  St. 
Mark  and  its  palace,  he  was  aroused  by  a  gentle  touch 
upon  the  arm.  Eugene  turned  suddenly  upon  the  per- 
son who  had  thus  unceremoniously  interrupted  his  medi- 
tations, and  saw  before  him  a  young  man  clad  in  velvet. 
His  countenance  was  only  half-masked.  He  had  upon 
his  head  a  black  cap,  surmounted  by  a  snow-white  plume. 
Eugene  could  see  the  lower  part  of  the  youth's  counte- 
nance, and  from  the  well-formed  mouth  and  delicate 
round  chin  he  argued  that  the  young  man  possessed  no 
small  amount  of  beauty.  His  form  was  round  and 
plump,  and,  with  the  exception  of  a  slight  awkwardness 
of  manner,  he  presented  the  appearance  of  one  whose 
duty  might  be  to  wait  upon  some  noble  lady  and  to  assist 
in  bearing  her  train. 

"Sir  cavalier,"  said  the  youth,  "you  seem  to  hold 
yourself  aloof  from  the  gayeties  of  the  evening,  and  to 
be  lost  in  your  own  sad  thoughts.  Will  you  step  this 
way  ?  I  have  a  message  for  you." 

Eugene  followed  the  young  man  into  the  shadow  of 
the  archway,  and  inquired, — 

"  From  whom  does  the  message  come,  and  who  does  it 
concern?" 

"The  message  will  explain  itself,  sir;  I  know  my 
duty  better  than  to  prate  idly  to  a  stranger." 

The  youth  drew  from  his  pocket  and  handed  to  Eu- 
gene a  note,  which  ran  as  follows : — 

"  Know,  sir,  that  there  are  eyes  in  this  throng  that 
can  read  a  face  beneath  a  mask.  I  know  you,  and  send 


LILY     WHITE.  153 

this  as  a  warning ;  your  worst  enemy  is  in  Venice — 
perhaps  even  here — beware!  A  look,  a  word,  a  gesture, 
may  betray  you  into  evil  hands.  Seek  not  to  ascertain 
from  whom  this  comes,  for  you  will  never  know.  It  is 
sufficient  that  the  writer  is  your  friend,  and  would  dare 
be  more  if  God  had  not  willed  it  otherwise. 

"FRIENDSHIP.' 

With  no  little  emotion  Eugene  read  this  note,  and 
having  finished  it  raised  his  eyes  to  ask  the  page  several 
questions  that  pressed  upon  his  mind.  But  he  was  no- 
where to  he  seen.  Like  a  spirit  he  had  glided  away 
beneath  those  solemn  arches.  Eugene's  first  impulse 
was  to  pursue  the  page  and  ascertain,  if  possible,  the 
author  of.  the  note,  but  he  soon  abandoned  that  attempt 
as  vain  and  fruitless.  Placing  the  warning  in  his  pocket 
he  once  more  entered  the  brilliant  Square  of  St.  Mark 
and  mingled  with  the  crowd.  By  this  time  the  dance 
had  begun  and  many  were  enjoying  that  innocent  amuse- 
ment. Eugene  was  in  hopes  of  again  seeing  the  mask 
of  Mary  Queen  of  Scotts. 

He  was  slowly  passing  through  the  crowd  when  he 
heard  some  one  whisper  his  name,  and,  turning,  beheld 
a  Roman  Senator  with  a  blue  badge  upon  his  shoulder. 

"  Noble  cavalier,  I  am  glad  to  meet  you.  I  have  been 
looking  for  you  an  hour,  and  was  beginning  to  think  you 
had  failed  to  come." 

"  I  arrived  late,  and  have  been  standing  within  the 
shadow  of  yonder  arch  looking  upon  this  scene." 

" That  conduct,"  said  the  senator,  "does  not  become 
a  gay  cavalier,  and  you  must  amuse  yourself.  Yonder  sits 
my  daughter;  come,  let  me  give  you  an  introduction." 
13* 


154  LILY     WHITE. 

Castruccio  left  Eugene  in  company  with  Rosetta, 
while  he  wandered  to  another  part  of  the  square.  Rosetta 
was  dressed  in  the  character  of  Diana.  She  wore  a 
short  blue  tunic,  extending  just  below  the  knee.  It  was 
ornamented  with  silver  spangles,  representing  the  moon 
and  stars.  Her  small  delicate  feet  were  incased  in 
beautiful  sandals,  trimmed  with  golden  brilliants.  In 
her  hand  was  a  bow,  while  at  her  back  hung  a  quiver 
filled  with  arrows.  She  possessed  all  the  modesty  and 
simplicity  that  beautify  the  character  of  the  chaste 
goddess  of  the  woods.  Rosetta  was  one  of  those  beings 
that  gladden  everything  they  come  near.  Her  laugh  was 
so  hearty  without  being  boisterous,  her  smile  so  sweet, 
and  her  look  so  arch,  that  she  was  an  outrageous  little 
coquette  without  knowing  the  nature  of  such  a  thing. 

"  Brave  sir,"  said  Diana,  raising  her  soft  black  eyes  to 
Eugene's,  while  an  arch  smile  dimpled  her  cheek,  "  how 
dare  you  approach  the  queen  of  the  forest  without  the 
proper  acknowledgment  ?  Do  you  not  fear  the  bow  in 
my  hand  and  the  quiver  at  my  back  ?" 

"I  think,  fair  Diana,"  answered  Eugene,  "that  a 
cavalier  has  more  to  fear  from  the  dimple  upon  thy  rosy 
cheek  and  the  glance  of  thy  dark  eye,  than  from  the 
twang  of  your  bow  or  the  darting  of  an  arrow." 

"Oh!  sir  cavalier,"  said  Diana,  "be  cautious  how 
you  talk  such  nonsense,  doubtless  picked  up  long  ago 
at  the  court  of  Charles  the  First.  Perhaps  you  have 
forgotten  that  once  upon  a  time  I  converted  Acteon  into 
a  stag,  who  was  devoured  by  his  own  hounds." 

"  And  I  pray  you  to  remember  the  flames  of  Alpheus," 
said  Eugene. 

"I  yield,"  said  Diana,  "to  the  wit  of  the  courtier." 


LILY     WHITE.  155 

"A  truce,  my  pretty  queen,"  said  Eugene,  "to  this 
idle  sparring.  Inasmuch  as  I  am  a  stranger  to  scenes 
like  this,  I  must  beg  of  you  to  be  my  guide  and  coun- 
selor." 

Eugene  offered  her  his  arm,  and  they  sought  the  other 
side  of  the  square.  They  were  seated  upon  a  settee 
looking  at  the  dancers  and  admiring  the  different  cha- 
racters, when  Castruccio  again  joined  them.  Eugene 
was  delighted  to  see  Mary  Queen  of  Scotts  mingling  in 
the  dance.  There  was  that  same  manner  of  sadness  and 
dejection  that  Eugene  had  previously  noticed. 

"Who,"  said  he  to  Rosetta,  "is  yonder  graceful  lady 
who  represents  the  unfortunate  Mary  of  Scotland  ?" 

"  I  am  not  certain,"  said  she  ;  "  but  it  was  whispered 
to  me  to-night  that  her  name  is  Miss  White,  the  step- 
daughter of  Col.  Lanier,  a  countryman  of  your  own. 
And  the  lady  near  her  is  her  half-sister.  Why,  sir, 
what  makes  you  start  so  at  the  mention  of  that  name  ?" 

"  Your  father,"  said  he,  "  can  best  answer  your  ques- 
tion at  his  leisure." 

Eugene's  eye  grew  bright.  A  new  and  beautiful  hope 
sprung  up  in  his  heart,  a  star  had  arisen  on  his  gloomy 
pathway.  Oh !  if  we  could  bare  the  human  heart  and 
view  the  mighty  conflicts  that  are  raging  there,  the  harp 
of  the  poet  would  be  unstrung,  and  no  longer  would  he 
touch  its  strings  in  praise  of  Marathon  or  Waterloo ! 
There  are  times  when  the  rattle  of  musketry  and  the 
roar  of  cannon  are  drowned  in  the  beautiful  songs  of 
peace ;  when  the  bloody  field  blooms  with  flowers  and 
brightens  with  golden  grain ;  when  the  shrill  clarion  is 
laid  aside  for  the  shepherd's  pastoral  pipe;  when  the 
shining  blade  is  converted  into  the  peaceful  plough- 


156  LILY     WHITE. 

share ;  and  when  hostile  armies  rest  from  the  tumults  of 
war  and  enjoy  the  sweets  of  repose  !  But  not  so  that 
inner  world.  The  human  heart  is  an  arena  upon  which, 
every  hour  and  every  day,  are  waged  those  terrible  bat- 
tles that  dim  the  eye,  whiten  the  locks,  blanch  the 
cheeks,  and  bend  the  form  of  man.  Passion  wars  with 
passion.  Hope  erects  its  palace  adorned  with  a  thou- 
sand beauties,  but  envy  and  malice  and  sorrow  trample 
its  graceful  columns  into  the  dust,  and  despair  drapes  its 
ruins  with  a  black  and  dismal  pall.  Love  for  awhile 
exerts  its  sacred  influence  and  brightens  the  soul  with 
its  celestial  glow,  but  that  "  green-eyed  monster"  jeal- 
ousy enters  and  extinguishes  forever  the  holy  flame.  "We 
must  ask  your  pardon,  kind  reader,  for  having  thus 
briefly  turned  aside  from  the  thread  of  our  story. 

Eugene  determined  to  keep  a  strict  watch  upon  the 
form  of  Mary  Queen  of  Scotts.  The  dancers  paused  a 
moment  for  the  changing  of  partners,  and,  asking  Rosetta 
to  excuse  him,  he  hastened  to  the  side  of  the  queen. 

"Will  the  fair  Queen  of  Scotland,"  said  he,  "accept 
as  a  partner  in  the  dance  one  who  would  willingly  break 
a  lance  in  her  cause  or  plunge  into  the  waves  to  save  her 
life?" 

"I  hope,  sir,"  said  Mary,  "that  you  will  have  no 
opportunity  either  for  the  one  or  the  other.  But,  sir, 
how  am  I  to  know  that  your  professions  are  true  ?  The 
Queen  of  Scotland  stands  greatly  in  need  of  a  friend  so 
good  and  reliable !" 

"  By  what  is  in  the  past  and  by  what  is  in  the  future. 
In  me  you  will  find  a  friend  as  true  as  George  Douglass 
of  old,"  said  Eugene. 

Lily  White  extended  her  hand  to  him.     He  felt  a 


LILY     WHITE.  157 

thrill  of  joy  when  that  soft  white  hand  rested  confidingly 
in  his,  and  for  a  moment  forgot  his  own  trials  in  the 
hliss  which  he  then  experienced. 

Lily,  from  what  Eugene  had  said,  believed  that  she 
was  in  the  company  of  the  person  who  had  saved  her 
life.  But  she  was  not  positive,  and  even  if  she  had 
been  she  was  ignorant  of  his  name.  He  led  her  apart 
from  the  gay  dancers,  and  sought  the  shadow  of  a  tall 
column  surmounted  by  the  statue  of  a  saint. 

"  If  I  mistake  not,"  said  he,  "  the  character  you  have 
assumed  is  in  keeping  with  your  feelings." 

"  You  are  not  mistaken,  sir,"  said  she;  "  the  unfortu- 
nate Mary,  at  no  period  of  her  life,  stood  more  in  need 
of  aid  than  the  one  who  now  stands  before  you.  But,  sir, 
how  do  you  know  so  much  of  my  situation  and  state  of 
mind  when  you  are  an  entire  stranger?" 

"We  have  no  time  for  explanation.  I  see  your 
attendant  searching  for  you.  Remember  what  I  say ; 
you  are  in  danger,  your  liberty  is  threatened.  This 
night  you  enter  a  convent  unless  you  avoid  it.  Be  firm, 
be  true  to  the  noble  resolution  you  have  taken,  and  be- 
lieve me  that  in  me  you  will  find  one  who  will  protect 
and  guard  you." 

When  this  warning  fell  upon  her  ear  Lily  White  trem- 
bled, and  her  sister  Fanny  came  forward  just  in  time  to 
change  her  thoughts,  and  led  her  to  a  distant  part  of  the 
square,  where  Col.  Lanier  was  awaiting  her  arrival. 

Eugene  anxiously  watched  her  retreating  form,  and 
for  several  minutes  stood  in  a  state  of  abstraction.  He 
was  aroused  by  the  conversation  of  two  individuals  who 
had  sought  refuge  on  the  opposite  side  of  the  column. 

"You  came  upon  me  like  a  ghost.     I  thought  you 


158  LILY     WHITE. 

were  dead,  and  have  held  mass  and  prayed  for  the  peace 
of  your  soul.  In  the  name  of  the  Virgin  Mary,  how 
came  you  here?" 

"My  own  inclination,"  said  the  individual  addressed, 
"prompted  me,  and  a  good  vessel  brought  me  hither. 
My  injury  was  not  serious.  The  ball,  grazing  my  head, 
stunned  me  for  awhile.  But  tell  me,  Pietro,  have  you 
heard  nothing  of  the  heretic  who  has  raised  his  voice 
against  the  Church  of  Rome  and  lifted  his  arm  against 
the  life  of  a  priest?" 

"•Nothing,  Father  Bernardo,"  said  Pietro ;  "  and  I 
doubt  very  much  if  he  came  to  Venice.  We  have 
kept  a  strict  watch  out  by  day  and  by  night,  but  have 
gained  no  word  of  him.  I  called  upon  Castruccio  Cas- 
tracini,  who  promised  his  aid,  and  if  he  had  been  in  the 
city  Castruccio  would  have  found  it  out." 

"  Well,  we  will  see,"  said  Bernardo;  "if  he  is  here  I 
will  search  him  out.  He  cannot  escape  me.  I  have  a 
spy  upon  his  track  who  is  equal  to  a  bloodhound." 

"  Who  is  that  ?"  demanded  Pietro. 

"Uglino,  the  dwarf,"  answered  Bernardo. 

"Does  he  belong  to  our  faith?" 

"  He  was  born  a  Catholic,"  said  Bernardo,  "  and  would 
sell  his  all  in  defence  of  the  church.  He  is  true  to  me, 
and  will  exert  himself  in  my  behalf.  If  I  am  fortunate 
enough  to  meet  this  insolent  American,  I  will  settle  old 
scores  with  him.  But,  Pietro,  that  fellow  is  a  brave 
man,  and  he  who  trifles  with  him  runs  a  risk." 

"I  will  soon  have  an  American  in  my  hands,"  said 
Pietro. 

"  How  so?"  asked  Bernardo. 

"  There  is  an  old  gentleman  here  who  desires  to  make 


LILY     WHITE.  159 

his  ward  his  wife.  The  girl,  like  a  stubborn  heretic  as 
she  is,  positively  refuses  the  old  gentleman's  gentle 
proposition ;  consequently  he  wishes  me  to  teach  her 
submission  and  obedience." 

"No  better  teacher  could  be  found,"  said  Bernardo. 

"  I  appreciate  the  compliment,  and  flatter  myself  that 
I  can  bring  the  girl  to  terms,"  said  Pietro. 

"  You  will  have  a  fine  time  in  breaking  this  young 
heretic  to  the  collar,  and  I  almost  envy  you  the  task. 
The  old  man,  however,  had  better  keep  a  sharp  look  out, 
else  he  will  miss  the  game." 

Thus  did  those  two  holy  men  make  a  jovial  matter  of 
a  step  that  was  to  rob  Lily  of  her  liberty  and  subject 
her  to  the  control  and  influence  of  a  man  whose  garb 
bespoke  the  minister  of  God,  but  whose  actions  and 
conversation  indicated  the  hypocrite  and  sensualist. 
Better,  by  far,  for  Lily  had  she  died  in  the  purity  and 
innocence  of  childhood  !  Better,  by  far,  had  she  been 
the  daughter  of  some  poor  but  honest  parent,  who  would 
have  loved  and  protected  her  from  the  evils  that  lay 
along  the  pathway  of  her  life. 

It  pained  Eugene  to  the  heart  to  hear  those  men 
speaking  in  this  light  manner  of  Lily  White.  His  first 
impulse  was  to  unmask  himself  and  confront  the  villains, 
and  tell  them  who  and  what  they  were.  But,  after  some 
deliberation,  he  checked  his  indignation,  knowing  that 
by  giving  way  to  his  feelings  he  would  involve  the 
maiden  in  other  and  more  serious  dangers.  He  left  the 
column  by  which  he  had  been  standing,  and  again  min- 
gled with  the  crowd. 

The  night  was  growing  late,  and  the  heavens  were  by 
this  time  overcast  with  clouds,  and  the  heated  atmo- 


160  LILY     WHITE. 

sphere  indicated  rain.  After  a  pleasant  evening's  revel 
the  maskers  were  leaving  the  square  in  groups.  Some 
lingered  behind,  as  if  unwilling  to  quit  a  scene  where 
joy  and  mirth  had  held  undisputed  sway.  Finally  the 
broad  square  was  deserted,  and  the  silence  of  night 
brooded  there ;  the  four  bronze  horses  that  had  led 
the  van  in  so  many  brilliant  triumphs  stood  upon  their 
lofty  pedestals  clad  in  gloom ;  and  the  countenance  of 
the  saint  upon  that  marble  column  wore  a  sad  and 
mournful  expression. 

The  night  commenced  in  joy,  but,  alas !  who  can  tell 
what  sorrows  may  arise  to  dim  the  eye  and  blight  the 
hopes  ere  the  morrow's  sun  shall  gild  the  graceful  Cam- 
panile* of  Orivolo  ? 

Eugene  Saunders  was  walking  slowly  along  the  nar- 
row and  slippery  street  that  led  to  his  hotel,  when  he 
was  made  conscious  that  some  one  was  by  his  side. 
Upon  casting  his  eyes  in  the  direction  of  the  sound,  lo ! 
a  hideous  creature  was  within  his  reach. 

"Who  is  it,"  said  he,  "that  follows  by  my  side  ?" 

"  One  whom  you  have  met  before,"  said  the  person. 

"  Art  friend  or  foe  ?"  said  Eugene. 

"Judge  the  present  by  the  past,"  the  form  replied. 

By  this  time  Eugene  had  sufficiently  recovered  from 
his  surprise  to  remember  what  he  had  heard  from  Ber- 
nardo. 

" Uglino,  is  it  you?"  he  asked. 

"  Who  else  has  the  form  and  shape  of  a  demon  with 
the  feelings  and  pride  of  a  man?"  said  the  dwarf. 

"  I  am  glad  to  see  you,  Uglino ;  but  tell  me,  are  you 
still  my  friend  ?  I  have  this  night  heard  that  you  would 
search  me  out  with  the  certainty  of  a  bloodhound." 


LILY     WHITE.  161 

"  Uglino  has  seen  too  much  of  the  priesthood  not  to 
disguise  his  real  feelings  and  adopt  a  policy  which  will 
insure  his  success.  But  come,  young  man,  follow  me, 
and  I  will  satisfy  you.  The  open  street  is  not  the  pro- 
per place  for  such  deliberations." 

"  Whither  do  you  lead  me  ?"  asked  Eugene. 

"Where  you  will  be  unharmed,"   replied  the  dwarf. 

Eugene  followed  the  dwarf;  and  we  must  leave  them 
wending  their  way  along  that  dark  and  narrow  street,  to 
turn  our  attention  to  other  actions,  which  the  reader 
will  find  detailed  in  the  next  chapter. 


CHAPTER  XIV. 

I  fly  like  a  bird  of  the  air, 

In  search  of  a  home  and  a  rest; 
A  balm  for  the  sickness  of  care ; 

A  bliss  for  a  bos^m  unblest. 

BYBON. 

DURING  the  whole  of  Lily  White's  life  she  had  never, 
until  now,  known  what  trouble  was.  It  is  true,  in  the 
joyous  days  of  girlhood,  she  had  endured  the  petty  trials 
and  sufferings  incident  to  that  period  of  life.  It  is  true, 
she  beheld  her  mother,  whom  she  loved  with  true  devo- 
tion, daily  fade  away  and  sink  into  the  silent  tomb ;  but 
within  her  bosom  was  the  consoling  hope  that  her  be- 
loved parent  was  in  heaven,  and  that  one  day  she  would 
meet  her  tfiere  to  be  parted  never,  nevermore.  But 
until  now  she  had  never  been  called  upon  to  exert  her- 
14 


162  LILY     WHITE. 

self  in  combatting  those  fearful  dangers  which  lay  ahead 
of  her;  she  had  never  known  what  it  was  to  be  left 
alone  in  a  cold  and  selfish  world,  to  struggle  single- 
handed  against  cunning,  malice,  and  deceit;  and  she 
had  never  felt  that  she  was  a  friendless  girl,  and  that 
she  was  compelled  to  rely  solely  upon  the  energies  of 
her  delicate  nature.  She  had  long  been  watching  the 
gathering  storm  that  was  to  overwhelm  her,  and  had 
been  preparing  to  meet  its  shock  with  heroic  courage 
and  Christian  fortitude.  Beyond  the  present,  to  her 
all  was  darkness.  Life  stretched  away  a  dreary  waste. 
No  beautiful  ray  of  hope  enlivened  her  pathway.  No 
strong  arm  was  extended  for  her  protection.  It  is  true 
a  stranger  had  encouraged  her ;  but,  perhaps,  she  thought, 
that  stranger  was  an  enemy.  But  though  she  was  weak 
and  feeble  in  herself,  yet  her  trust  was  in  Him  who 
stilleth  the  storm  and  quieteth  the  raging  of  the  billows. 
She  confided  in  His  holy  promises,  and  believed  that 
He  would  deliver  her  from  the  difficulties  that  sur- 
rounded her. 

When  she  left  the  Squar^  of  St.  Mark,  she  felt  that  a 
great  change  was  soon  to  come  over  her  life.  She  was 
prepared  to  face  the  fury  of  the  storm.  She  was  sorely 
grieved  at  the  thought  of  leaving  her  sister  Fanny, 
perhaps  never  again  to  see  her  on  earth ;  but  she  had 
firmly  resolved  to  face  every  danger  and  to  make  every 
sacrifice,  rather  than  submit  to  the  proposition  of  her 
guardian. 

On  their  arrival  at  their  rooms,  Col.  Lanier  sought 
an  interview  with  Lily.  Fanny,  being  wearied  from  the 
exercise  and  excitement  of  the  evening,  went  to  her 
couch,  leaving  Lily  White  and  Col.  Lanier  alone  in  the 


LILY     WHITE.  163 

little  parlor  which  had  been  engaged  for  the  young 
ladies. 

They  sat  in  silence  for  several  moments ;  Col.  Lanier 
hesitating  how  he  should  renew  a  subject  so  unpleasant 
to  his  ward,  and  Lily  trembling  at  the  thought  of  what 
must  be  the  consequences  of  this  interview.  Finally  he 
said,—  ."-,•*  • 

"  Well,  Lily,  have  you  determined  what  course  you 
intend  to  pursue  in  relation  to  the  subject  about  which 
we  last  conversed  ?" 

"I  have,  sir,"  said  the  trembling  Lily. 

"I  hope,  then,"  continued  he,  "that  your  decision  is 
favorable  to  my  peace  and  happiness.  I  have  now  given 
you  full  and  ample  time  to  think  upon  my  proposition." 

"  I  neither  asked  nor  desired  time  to  think  upon  a 
subject  that  outrages  my  feelings  and  does  violence  to 
my  respect  and  honor." 

"You  then,"  said  he,  "deliberately  refuse  obedience 
to  my  authority?" 

"I  do,  sir,  and  scorn  you  for  thus  insulting  a  de- 
fenceless orphan  girl,  the  child  of  her  whom  you  once 
called  wife.  I  will  die  before  I  submit  to  your  wishes 
in  this  affair.  You  may  send  me  to  prison,  but  you  can 
never  change  my  purpose." 

In  a  fit  of  passion  Col.  Lanier  walked  the  room. 
His  bosom  heaved,  his  frame  trembled,  and  his  eyes 
flashed  with  anger  and  disappointment.  At  length  he 
paused  before  Lily. 

"  Once  more  hear  me,  insolent  girl.  Long  and  ar- 
dently have  I  loved  you.  Upon  your  hand  I  have  set 
my  soul,  and  I  will  not  be  thwarted.  You  shall  be  my 
wife.  I  will  bend  your  stubborn  nature ;  this  night  you 


164  LILY     WHITE. 

shall  enter  a  convent,  there  to  be  taught  submission  and 
obedience." 

Lily  burst  into  tears,  and  Col.  Lanier  left  the  room. 
Her  heart  was  almost  broken,  and  the  poor  afflicted 
maiden  sobbed  aloud  in  despair.  She  was  fully  con- 
scious of  her  lonely  situation.  She  knew  that  she  must 
flee  or  be  imprisoned  against  her  will.  Oh !  it  was 
indeed  a  bitter,  trying  hour  to  that  frail  and  gentle 
girl!  A  thousand  dangers  rose  up  before  her.  She 
was  penniless,  far  from  her  dear  native  land,  and  in  a 
strange  city,  without  friends  to  advise  or  one  consoling 
thought  to  cheer  her  amid  the  darkness  of  the  hour  and 
the  dangers  that  surrounded  her.  Her  whole  life  passed 
rapidly  before  her  mind,  and  the  innocence,  tranquillity, 
and  joy  of  her  early  years  presented  a  striking  contrast 
to  what  she  then  was  suffering.  But  she  was  deter- 
mined. She  arose  from  her  seat  and  went  to  her  room. 
Her  sister  was  sleeping  sweetly,  and  a  beautiful  smile 
playing  on  her  rosy  lips  told  plainly  that  her  dreams 
were  pleasant.  Having  secured  all  the  articles  of  cloth- 
ing that  necessity  demanded,  she  next  indited  a  note  to 
her  sister,  in  which  she  informed  her  that  her  safety 
had  compelled  her  to  fly  for  protection ;  that  she  must 
think  of  her  often,  and  remember  her  in  her  prayers ; 
that  she  must  guard  herself  from  evil;  that  she  must 
never  forget  the  time  when  they  romped  in  maiden 
glee  on  the  green  hill-side,  and  that  she  must  meet 
her  in  heaven.  Lily  placed  this  note  where  Fanny 
could  not  fail  to  see  it. 

She  humbly  knelt  beside  the  bed  on  which  her  sister 
slept,  and  poured  forth  her  soul  in  prayer.  Never  did  a 
more  earnest  invocation  go  trembling  to  the  throne  of 


LILT     WHITE.  .  165 

grace,  never  did  a  poor  child  of  clay  stand  more  in  need 
of  assistance  from  on  high !  Here,  in  this  silent  room, 
in  the  stillness  of  the  solemn  night,  knelt  this  maiden, 
sending  forth  a  petition  to  her  heavenly  Father  for  grace 
by  means  of  which  she  might  bear  her  troubles  and  over- 
come her  difficulties.  Here  was  a  scene  which  should 
cause  the  sinner  to  pause  and  reflect,  and  which  teaches 
the  most  exalted  philosophy  a  lesson.  Around  this 
young  creature  had  gathered  the  black  and  dismal  storm- 
cloud  of  adversity,  and  naught  but  darkness  hovered 
over  her  life-journey ;  but  she  knew  that  above  the  hills, 
and  above  the  clouds,  and  above  the  stars,  was  one  in 
whom  she  might  confide,  and  who  could  lead  her  entan- 
gled footsteps  into  "paths  of  peace,"  and  into  sunny 
scenes  of  joy  and  contentment.  She  thought  of  the 
many  martyrs  who  had  endured  the  rack  and  suffered 
death  for  the  sake  of  correct  principles,  and  from  their 
heroism  she  took  courage  to  persevere  in  the  pathway  of 
duty  and  honor.  It  was,  indeed,  a  stern  necessity. 
Lily  impressed  a  fond  and  burning  kiss  upon  the  fore- 
head of  her  sweetly  sleeping  sister,  and  upon  her  pillow 
dropped  a  tear  of  sorrow  and  regret.  Ah !  how  many 
lonely  hours,  and  dreary  months,  and  weary  years  may 
pass  away  ere  Lily  again  may  look  upon  that  sister's 
brow !  How  many  tears  may  flow,  and  how  many  fond 
and  cherished  hopes  may  be  blasted  by  that  separation  ! 
The  brilliancy  of  that  eye  may  be  gone,  the  bloom  upon 
that  cheek  may  be  faded,  and  those  raven-like  locks, 
now  luxuriantly  falling  over  the  snowy  drapery  of  her 
couch,  may  be  white  from  sorrows  and  the  march  of 
relentless  time.  Who  can  tell  ?  God  in  his  goodness 
and  wisdom  has  hung  a  veil  over  the  mysteries  of  the 

14* 


166  LILY     WHITE. 

future,  and  man  with  all  his  boasted  experience  and 
knowledge  must  meekly  confess  his  ignorance  of  what 
the  morrow  may  bring  forth.  He  may  turn  the  tele- 
scope upon  the  heavens  and  read  the  distances  and  mag- 
nitudes of  those  orbs  that  tremble  on  the  dark  robe  of 
night,  or  he  may  turn  the  microscope  and  note  the  danc- 
ing of  a  mote  or  the  beings  of  a  drop  of  water, — but  no 
power  of  science  can  calculate  the  future. 

Lily  paused  at  the  door  and  cast  a  lingering  look  upon 
the  scene  where  she  had  spent  so  many  pleasant  hours, 
and  which  she  was  now  about  to  leave  in  the  darkness 
and  solemnity  of  the  night.  To  her  every  article  of  fur- 
niture was  familiar,  and  now  that  she  was  about  to 
depart,  never  perhaps  to  look  upon  that  room  again, 
everything  in  it  was  tenfold  more  dear  than  she  thought 
inanimate  objects  could  ever  be.  The  tears  fell  thick 
and  fast,  and,  closing  the  door,  she  hastened  with  noise- 
less tread  along  the  dark  passage  to  the  steps  that  led 
to  the  street  below.  That  was  a  fearful  struggle  for  one 
so  pure,  so  noble,  and  so  good  !  But  the  worst  was  over, 
and,  pale  and  trembling,  Lily  stood  upon  the  pavement 
to  collect  herself  for  the  difficulties  she  must  meet.  The 
heavens  were  overcast  with  clouds ;  but  occasionally 
the  wind  changed  those  floating  masses,  and  ever  and 
anon  revealed  through  some  newly  made  rift  a  silvery 
orb  dancing  in  glee  on  the  azure  sky.  Far  away  Lily 
saw  one,  bright  and  beautiful,  trembling  in  its  loveliness 
just  above  the  rolling  billows. 

Straightway  her  mind  was  filled  with  the  golden  me- 
mories of  that  evening  when  she  and  her  sainted  mother 
sat  on  the  steps  of  the  portico  and  talked  of  the  future 
and  of  death.  So  vividly  did  the  memory  of  that  night 


LILY     WHITE.  167 

come  upon  her  that  it  seemed  but  yesterday.  She  re- 
membered all  that  transpired  upon  that  eventful  occa- 
sion :  how  soft  and  musical  was  the  voice  of  that  dying 
mother ;  how  calmly  she  regarded  death,  and  how  sweetly 
she  conversed  of  heaven ;  how  she  promised  to  be  her 
guardian  angel,  guiding  her  feeble  footsteps  and  shield- 
ing her  from  the  tempest's  blast  and  from  the  raging 
storm.  If  ever  Lily  needed  a  guardian  angel,  it  was 
now.  She  was  weak  in  herself,  but  strong  in  the  belief 
of  the  blessed  promises  of  the  Bible.  The  God  of  the 
universe  had  said  that  he  would  be  a  father  to  the  father- 
less, and  she  doubted  not  his  holy  word.  Though  she 
now  stood  a  frail,  fair  girl,  under  a  frowning  firmament, 
surrounded  by  dangers  and  exposed  to  the  ridicule  and 
insults  of  the  unfeeling,  yet  she  was  confident  that  if 
He  willed  it  she  would  be  delivered  from  all  these  sor- 
rows and  tribulations. 

Thrice  blessed  be  the  promises  of  the  Bible !  They 
illuminate  the  dark  and  gloomy  pathway  of  the  million 
of  earth's  inhabitants;  they  cast  a  glow  of  comfort 
about  the  hearthstone  of  the  humble  hut  amid  the 
mountains,  and  brighten  the  palaces  of  the  great  amid 
the  flowers  of  the  vales;  they  throw  a  brilliant  ray 
athwart  the  pillow  of  the  dying,  and  shed  a  halo  of  glory 
over  the  graves  of  the  departed :  amid  all  the  fierce 
and  fiery  conflicts  of  passions  they  nerve  the  arm  in  the 
cause  of  truth  and  justice ;  they  calm  the  restless  soul 
of  man  into  stillness,  and  flood  his  heart  with  a  glorious 
light  from  above !  Here  it  is  that  the  poor  man,  over 
whose  brow  the  furrows  of  age  are  gathering,  and  who 
labors  from  sunrise  to  gloaming,  may  grow  rich  in  pros- 
pect of  a  diamond-lit  crown  more  sparkling  than  the 


168  LILY     WHITE. 

sun,  more  dazzling  than  a  universe ;  here  it  is  that  we 
may  look  when  friends  forsake  and  enemies  crowd 
around  us,  when  bright  hopes  are  crushed  and  beauteous 
visions  fade,  when  the  pomp  and  splendor  of  earth  are 
lost  in  the  dark  night  of  despair,  and  when  the  surging 
and  roaring  billows  of  the  Jordan  of  death  swell  in  wrath 
above  us  !  The  student  may  roam  through  all  the  laby- 
rinths of  ancient  lore  and  modern  wisdom ;  he  may,  in 
imagination,  sit  beneath  the  Berna  and  listen  to  the  elo- 
quence of  Demosthenes,  or  he  may  be  entranced  by  the 
honeyed  words  of  a  Cicero ;  yet  he  will  find  that  there 
is  a  something  indescribable  within  his  bosom  which  all 
the  learning  of  antiquity  cannot  satisfy  and  which 
naught  but  the  Bible  can  supply.  When  David  strings 
the  lyre,  the  harp  of  Homer  is  hushed  into  silence  and 
the  lute  of  Anacreon  is  unstrung ;  the  Iliad  grows 
dim,  and  the  Odyssey  ceases  to  glow  in  the  presence  of 
divine  inspiration !  And  when  Solomon  tunes  his  voice, 
the  melody  of  Horace  is  drowned  and  the  Grecian  An- 
thology withers  and  dies. 

It  was  to  these  promises  that  Lily  White  now  turned. 
The  wind  blew  rapidly  from  the  south,  and  gathering 
her  mantle  more  closely  about  her  she  rushed  along  that 
narrow  street,  neither  heeding  the  darkness  of  the 
night,  the  dangers  of  the  way,  nor  the  direction  of  her 
footsteps.  It  was  enough  for  that  afflicted  maiden  to 
know  that  she  was  flying  from  the  influence  of  a  man 
whom  she  greatly  feared.  Ever  and  anon  she  paused 
and  looked  back,  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  she  was 
pursued.  All  was  silence,  save  the  murmuring  of  the 
waves  as  they  broke  against  the  walls,  and  the  distant 
cry  of  some  belated  gondolier  seeking  the  moorings  of 


LILY     WHITE.  169 

his  flagstone.  At  such  moments  Lily  felt  her  heart 
almost  die  within  her  bosom.  What  should  she  do  ? 
She  knew  no  one  to  whom  she  could  apply  for  aid. 
Those  who  have  stood  at  night  in  the  strange  streets  of 
a  strange  city,  with  huge  and  gigantic  edifices  looming 
up  on  every  side,  adding  a  deeper  gloom  to  the  scene, 
can  fully  sympathize  with  Lily  White  in  her  present 
lonely  and  desolate  condition. 

Again  she  hastened  on  her  course.  In  the  distance 
she  saw  some  one  approaching.  Hope  sprung  up  afresh 
in  her  hosom.  She  gave  the  way,  and  the  individual  was 
about  to  pass  by  without  heeding  her,  but  just  as  he  was 
opposite  he  discovered  her.  His  first  impression  was 
that  the  figure  before  him  was  one  of  those  unfortunate 
beings  who  disgrace  the  sacred  name  of  woman ;  but 
when  he  beheld  the  timid  and  shrinking  attitude  of  Lily, 
this  impression  was  changed. 

"Whither,  lady,  do  your  footsteps  lead  you  at  this 
late  hour  of  the  night  ?  It  is  not  proper  that  one  of 
your  modest  mein  should  thus  expose  yourself  in  these 
lonely  streets." 

"  Oh  !  kind  sir,"  said  Lily  White,  "I  am  a  poor  un- 
fortunate girl,  and  I  am  here  to  avoid  a  fate  which  to 
me  is  worse  than  death." 

"  It  must,  indeed,"  said  the  man,  "  be  a  sad  fate  that 
drives  you  forth  to  face  a  night  in  these  streets  where 
the  bravest  men  tread  with  caution." 

"  Oh !  sir,  I  am  worn  and  weary ;  will  you  protect 
me  ?  All  I  ask  is  this  night's  shelter ;  grant  me  but 
this,  and  may  Heaven  shower  the  richest  blessings  upon 
your  head.  Oh !  good,  kind  sir,  you  know  not  what  I 
have  this  night  endured.  If  you  have  a  daughter,  think 


170  LILY     WHITE. 

of  her  being  exposed  as  you  now  behold  me,  and  forget 
not  what  would  be  your  feelings  if  some  kind  hand  should 
protect  her  even  for  a  few  short  hours." 

"  Tell  me,  lady,  what  has  induced  you  to  take  this 
step ;  confide  in  me,  and  you  shall  not  want  a  friend." 

She  informed  the  individual  of  the  cause  of  her  flight. 
She  told  him  of  the  threat  that  had  been  made  against 
her  liberty.  The  stranger  listened  unmoved  to  her 
story,  and,  when  she  had  finished,  said, — 

"  Why,  young  lady,  do  you  object  so  seriously  to  wed 
this  man  whom  you  have  named  ?" 

"Because,"  said  Lily,  "by  so  doing  I  should  wrong 
every  feeling  of  my  nature,  and  outrage  the  memory  of 
my  mother.  I  do  not,  cannot  love  Col.  Lanier,  and  I 
am  determined  never  to  offer  myself  as  a  sacrifice  upon 
the  altar  of  matrimony." 

"Well,  you  seem  to  be  a  brave-hearted  young  lady," 
said  the  stranger ;  "  and  if  you  will  share  the  hospitality 
of  my  abode  you  are  welcome.  Come,  the  night-wind 
blows  freshly  from  the  sea,  and  the  hours  are  rapidly 
passing  away." 

Taking  the  hand  of  Lily  he  led  her  on  in  the  direc- 
tion she  had  started.  She  felt  somewhat  relieved,  yet 
a  vague  feeling  of  fear  crept  over  her.  There  was  some- 
thing so  unfeeling  and  chilling  in  the  manner  of  her 
companion,  that  Lilly  knew  not  whether  to  regard  him 
as  her  friend  or  foe.  By  this  time  they  reached  the 
Square  of  St.  Mark,  now  silent  and  deserted,  and,  cross- 
ing over  to  the  canal,  they  found  a  gondola  awaiting 
them.  The  gondolier  had  fallen  asleep,  and  it  required 
several  hearty  shakes  before  Lily's  conductor  could 
rouse  him  from  his  slumbers.  On  awaking  he  did  not 


LILY     WHITE.  171 

appear  surprised  at   beholding   Lily,  but   immediately 
shoved  his  vessel  from  the  pavement,  and  like  an  arrow 

it  glided  away. 

•#          *          *          *          #### 

While  we  leave  Lily  White,  at  one  moment  floating 
beneath  some  gracefully  spanning  bridge  and  at  the  next 
darting  forward  into  the  shadow  of  some  gigantic  and 
solemn  structure,  let  us  follow  Eugene,  whom  we  left  in 
company  with  Uglino,  the  dwarf. 

They  had  proceeded  in  silence  to  a  considerable  dis- 
tance, each  bent  upon  his  own  thoughts.  At  length,  on 
arriving  at  an  humble  dwelling,  Uglino  invited  Eugene 
to  enter.  A  faint  light  glimmered  in  the  grate,  which 
enabled  him  to  notice  the  appearance  and  condition  of 
the  room,  and  he  was  agreeably  surprised  to  find  it  neat 
and  comfortable.  A  plain  substantial  table  stood  in  one 
corner,  while  a  low  cot  occupied  another. 

Uglino  offered  Eugene  a  seat,  and  at  a  convenient 
distance  placed  one  for  himself,  and  began  interrogating 
him  in  relation  to  his  flight  from  Florence. 

Eugene  narrated  all  the  prominent  events  that  had 
transpired  since  they  last  parted.  In  turn  Uglino  in- 
formed him  that  great  excitement  prevailed  in  Florence 
on  the  night  of  his  departure.  That  a  priest  of  the 
Holy  Church  should  be  thus  violently  treated,  and  that 
too  at  the  hands  of  a  Protestant,  the  Catholics  regarded 
as  an  unpardonable  crime.  Even  the  more  quiet  citi- 
zens, not  knowing  the  reasons  that  prompted  this  vio- 
lence, were  incensed  at  the  bold  and  daring  offender. 
So  soon  as  it  was  rumored  abroad  that  a  holy  father  had 
been  shot,  the  whole  city  was  searched,  every  accessible 
building  was  ransacked,  the  surrounding  country  was 


172  LILY     WHITE. 

examined,  and  notices  were  despatched  in  various  direc- 
tions for  the  apprehension  of  the  criminal.  On  ascer- 
taining that  the  wound  was  not  likely  to  prove  serious, 
the  ball  having  merely  grazed  the  head  of  the  priest, 
those  who  were  not  directly  interested  in  church  matters 
relapsed  once  more  into  the  same  quiet  and  peaceful 
channel  from  whence  they  were  aroused.  But  not  so 
Bernardo.  He  felt  that  he  had  been  insulted,  thwarted. 
The  raging  and  consuming  fires  of  jealousy  were  tor- 
menting his  soul.  He  longed  for  revenge,  and  no  labor, 
no  cunning,  no  expense,  was  too  much  nor  too  great  for 
the  accomplishment  of  his  daring  designs.  His  bosom 
was  a  furious  volcano,  heaving,  restless,  and  burning, 
and  ready  at  any  time  to  burst  forth,  spreading  ruin  and 
destruction.  He  firmly  believed  that  Simonetta  loved 
Eugene  Saunders,  and  rejoiced  in  her  heart  that  the 
young  American  had  come  off  victorious  and  that  he 
was  the  injured  party.  To  his  fiery  and  furious  nature 
this  was  more  galling  than  the  damage  he  had  received. 

"  Ah!  I  wish  you  could  have  seen  how  his  eyes  glared 
with  malice  and  glittered  with  revenge  as  he  laid  upon 
his  couch  the  next  day,"  said  the  dwarf;  "Oh!  sir, 
it  did  my  old  soul  good  to  witness  his  rage  and  disap- 
pointment. I  know  it  was  wrong  to  rejoice  in  the 
suffering  and  sorrow  of  a  fellow-being ;  but  I  had  seen 
so  much  of  Bernardo,  had  beheld  him  so  many  times 
play  the  sycophant  and  hypocrite,  clad  in  the  dalma- 
tica  of  the  church;  had  seen  so  much  of  his  cunning 
and  cruelty,  and  had  felt  his  ruthless  fang  fastened  in 
my  own  heart,  that  I  could  not  pity  him.  Ha !  ha ! 
ha!  how  bitterly  he  reproached  me  for  not  having 
faithfully  fulfilled  my  vow  !" 


LILY     WHITE.  173 

"Did  he  suspect,"  said  Eugene,  "the  true  state  of 
the  case?" 

"  No,  no,"  answered  Uglino ;  "  he  thinks  I  am  too  far 
bowed  down  beneath  the  yoke  of  Catholicism  to  refuse 
to  do  his  mandates." 

"What  became  of  Simonetta?"  inquired  Eugene.  "Is 
she  safe  ?  Has  Bernardo  given  over  his  base  and  unhal- 
lowed persecution?" 

"  She  disappeared  from  Florence,  together  with  her 
mother,  and  nothing  has  been  heard  of  them  since. 
Bernardo  hopes  that  she  has  fled  thither.  Ah !  old 
Uglino 's  eyes  can  read  what  to  others  remains  a  mys- 
tery. Simonetta  is  safe,  sir,  and  is  even  now  in 
Venice." 

"  How  know  you  that  ?"  said  Eugene. 

"  I  am  not  mistaken.  With  these  eyes  this  night  I 
saw  her  upon  the  Square  of  St.  Mark,  mingling  with 
that  gay  and  brilliant  throng." 

"In  whose  company  was  the  maiden?"  asked  Eu- 
gene. 

"  She  was  conversing  with  a  brave  cavalier,  and  that 
cavalier  was  yourself."  . 

"  What !  Simonetta  Pitti  in  conversation  with  me  ? 
You  are  mistaken,  my  friend.  I  have  not  seen  her 
since  the  unfortunate  night  that  I  was  forced  to  leave 
Florence." 

"  Have  you  forgotten  the  young  page  who  led  you 
beneath  the  archway  and  placed  in  your  hand  a  note?" 

From  the  tenor  of  the  note,  and  the  whole  manner  of 
the  page,  Eugene  was  now  clearly  satisfied  that  Uglino 
was  not  mistaken,  and  wondered  how  he  could  have  been 
so  stupid  as  not  to  have  known  it  before. 
15 


174  L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E. 

"Where,  think  you,"  said  Eugene,  "does  she  dwell?" 

"  I  do  not  know ;  but  before  the  morrow's  sun  red- 
dens the  western  hills  I  will  be  able  to  inform  you." 

"Do  so,  my  good  friend,"  said  Eugene,  "and  let  me 
know  immediately.  See  has  twice  proved  herself  my 
friend,  and  I  would  be  recreant  to  every  noble  principle 
did  I  suffer  any  harm  to  come  upon  her  without  exert- 
ing myself  in  her  behalf." 

"  In  this  affair,  as  in  all  others,  you  must  be  prudent 
and  cautious,"  said  the  dwarf. 

"  What  would  be  the  consequences  should  I  fall  into 
the  clutches  of  Bernardo?"  demanded  Eugene. 

"Worse  than  death.  He  would  torment  you  in  a 
thousand  ways  !  He  would  torture  your  flesh  until  you 
•would  pray  for  death,  and  yet  he  would  not  let  you  die ! 
Ah !  sir,  if  you  had  seen  what  I  have  witnessed,  it 
would  blanch  your  cheek,  send  a  tremor  through  every 
nerve,  and  make  your  very  heart  grow  sick." 

The  night  by  this  time  was  far  advanced,  and,  after 
some  general  conversation  and  some  arrangements  for 
the  future,  Eugene  bade  Uglino  good  night. 


LILY     WHITE.  175 


CHAPTER  XV. 

What  bliss  is  born  of  sorrow ! 

'Tis  never  sent  in  vain  ; 
The  heavenly  Surgeon  maims  to  save, 

He  gives  no  useless  pain. 

'Tis  he — 'tis  he — I  know  him  now, 
I  know  him  by  his  pallid  brow ; 
I  know  him  by  the  evil  eye 
That  aids  his  envious  treachery. 

BYKON'S  GIAOUK. 

IT  is  now  time  that  we  should  follow  Lily  White, 
who  we  left  gliding  away  in  company  with  a  stranger. 
On  flew  the  graceful  craft,  dashing  the  foam-bells  from 
its  prow.  Huge  palaces  rose  up  through  the  darkness, 
on  either  side  of  the  canal,  and  were  soon  lost  in  the  dis- 
tance. After  turning  into  a  narrow  canal  the  gondolier 
ceased  rowing,  and  the  light  vessel  moved  slowly  toward 
a  grand  and  towering  building,  which  seemed  to  Lily  to 
have  faced  the  fury  of  many  a  storm  and  to  have  with- 
stood the  raging  of  many  a  wintry  blast.  No  genial 
lights  gleamed  from  the  windows.  It  stood  silent  and 
solemn,  and  as  she  lifted  her  eyes  to  its  high  campanile 
a  shudder  ran  over  her  frame.  The  gondola  neared  the 
steps  that  led  to  the  entrance  of  that  gigantic  pile,  and 
Lily's  conductor  gently  assisted  her  to  ascend;  and 
having  knocked,  the  door  in  a  few  moments  was  thrown 
open  by  a  female  somewhat  advanced  in  years. 

"I  have  long  been  expecting  you,  Father  Pietro," 


176  LILY     WHITE. 

she  said ;  "  I  began  to  think  that  some  accident  had 
happened,  or  that  the  young  lady  had  consented.  Walk 
into  this  room,  miss ;  it  is  ready  for  your  reception,  and 
we  will  leave  nothing  undone  which  can  increase  your 
happiness." 

"I  am  much  obliged  to  you,  madam,"  said  Lily; 
"but  will  you  be  good  enough  to  inform  me  where  I  am, 
and  to  whose  kindness  I  am  indebted  for  these  favors  ? 
I  thought  my  visit  was  entirely  accidental,  but  it  seems, 
from  what  I  have  seen  and  heard,  that  I  am  an  expected 
guest.  How  is  this  ?" 

"Why,  my  dear  miss,  this  is  the  Convent  of  St. 
Mary,  and  for  this  warm  reception  you  are  indebted  to 
our  hospitality  and  to  the  kind  consideration  of  your 
guardian,  Col.  Lanier,"  said  the  mother. 

To  portray  truthfully  the  feelings  of  Lily  when  this 
announcement  was  made  would  be  an  impossibility. 
Despair  was  pictured  upon  her  ghastly  features. 
Throwing  herself  into  an  adjacent  chair  and  burying  her 
face  in  her  hands,  she  wept  aloud.  While  thus  giving 
vent  to  her  troubled  feelings,  Father  Pietro  and  the 
pious  mother  of  St.  Mary  were  silent,  doubtless  await- 
ing to  ascertain  the  result  of  Lily's  tears. 

"Was  it  for  this,"  said  the  sobbing  girl,  "that  I  have 
endured  so  much  and  ventured  forth  to  brave  the  dan- 
gers of  the  night  in  an  unknown  city  ?  Oh  !  sir,"  said 
she,  "  appealing  to  Pietro,  you  promised  that  you  would 
be  my  friend  if  I  would  confide  in  you." 

"  And  have  I  not  been  your  friend  ?  Have  I  not 
rescued  you  from  the  streets,  given  you  shelter  and  my 
protection?" 

"I  had  rather  be  alone  in  the  dark  and  dreary  streets, 


LILY     WHITE.  177 

than  to  be  confined  against  my  will  in  this  cold  and  cruel 
manner." 

"My  daughter,"  said  Pietro,  in  a  calm  and  soothing 
tone,  "  do  not  thus  give  way  to  your  excited  feelings. 
You  have  it  in  your  power  to  quit  these  walls  in  the 
morning." 

"  But,  oh !  at  what  a  price !"  said  Lily. 

"Your  guardian,"  continued  the  priest,  pretending 
not  to  have  heard  the  remark  of  Lily  White,  "  deemed 
it  prudent  to  place  you  under  our  supervision  and  con- 
trol, and  we  sincerely  hope  to  be  the  means  of  doing  you 
good  both  in  a  temporal  and  spiritual  point  of  view." 

Pietro  bent  his  dark  eyes  upon  the  maiden  to  see 
what  effect  this  speech  would  have  upon  his  victim. 

"  You  have  imprisoned  me  without  my  knowledge  or 
consent,  Col.  Lanier  had  no  authority  to  consign  me 
to  your  care,  and  I  will  never,  never  submit  to  this 
cruel  treatment.  Does  he  hope  to  win  my  heart  by 
depriving  me  of  liberty  ?  He  will  be  mistaken.  I 
would  suffer  a  thousand  deaths  rather  than  consent  to. 
marry  him.  I  feel  and  know  that  the  same  God  who 
forsook  not  those  brave  defenders  of  Christianity  when 
all  the  cruelties  of  Roman  Catholicism  were  brought 
against  them,  will  raise  up  friends  for  my  protection 
and  preservation.  He  has  promised  it  in  his  Holy 
Word,  and  I  no  more  doubt  the  truth  of  those  promises 
than  I  do  that  of  my  own  existence.  You  have  de- 
ceived me,  sir,"  said  she,  turning  full  upon  the  priest, 
"and  I  now  declare  that  I  will  never  listen  to  your 
advice,  nor  hearken  to  your  dogmas.  I  am  convinced 
that  you  are  a  tool  in  the  hands  of  one  who  should  never 
have  stooped  to  this  vile  and  disgraceful  conduct." 
15* 


178  LILY     WHITE. 

"Well,  my  daughter,"  said  Pietro,  "you  are  laboring 
under  the  influence  of  prejudice ;  hence  we  will  say  no 
more  at  present  upon  this  subject.  It  is  late;  the 
mother  will  conduct  you  to  your  room ;  good  night." 

Pietro  withdrew,  and  the  mother  led  Lily  up  a  flight 
of  steps  and  through  a  long  passage  to  a  small  apart- 
ment, which  had  been  previously  prepared  for  her 
reception.  Mother  Augustine,  after  a  few  words  of 
comfort,  placed  the  lamp  upon  the  table  and  retired, 
hoping  that  the  morning  would  find  her  in  better  spirits. 

As  soon  as  Lily  was  left  alone  she  again  gave  vent 
to  her  feelings  in  tears.  She  walked  her  small  and 
cheerless  room,  wringing  her  hands,  in  despair. 

"Oh!  it  seems,  said  she,  "that  good  fortune  has 
deserted  me.  The  more  I  strive  against  these  sorrows 
the  deeper  am  I  involved.  Oh !  my  poor  heart,  it  will 
break.  What  will  become  of  me  ?" 

These  were  not  idle  and  unmeaning  words.  Lily 
White  knew  too  much  of  Catholicism  to  be  ignorant 
with  whom  she  had  to  contend.  She  was  familiar  with 
the  hypocrisy,  cunning,  and  cruelty,  of  this  mighty 
church,  and  she  was  aware  that  no  means  were  too 
cruel  and  wicked  to  insure  the  ends  of  its  designs.  She 
was  conscious  that  the  historic  page  is  darkened  by  the 
foul  deeds  of  Popish  cruelty  and  persecution ;  that  the 
most  tragic  and  dreadful  scenes  ever  witnessed  on  earth 
were  committed  by  this  engine  of  power ;  that  its  path- 
way to  wealth  and  glory  has  been  bedewed  with  the 
tears  of  thousands  and  with  the  sacred  blood  of  mil- 
lions. She  thought  of  the  groans  that  had  gone  up 
from  the  dark  and  dismal  depths  of  slimy  dungeons, 
and  of  the  piteous  wails  for  mercy  which  fell  upon  ears 


LILY     WHITE.  179 

accustomed  to  such  cries,  and  upon  hearts  as  cold  as 
ice  and  as  hard  as  adamant.  She  forgot  not  those  hell- 
ish machines  of  torture  which  serve  to  enforce  the  will 
of  this  holy  order.  With  such  thoughts  as  these  pass- 
ing rapidly  through  her  mind,  Lily  sought  her  couch. 
The  huge  iron-tongue  bell  of  many  a  church  and  con- 
vent rung  out  one — two — three;  and  the  waves  dashing 
and  breaking  against  the  walls  of  St.  Mary,  lulled  her 
to  repose. 

Poor  Lily  White !  God  knows  we  pity  you  from  the 
depths  of  our  hearts !  You  are  too  good,  too  pure,  and 
too  beautiful,  thus  to  endure  the  raging  fury  of  a  storm 
that  would  crush  a  sterner  disposition  and  bend  a  more 
rugged  nature.  Life,  indeed,  is  made  up  of  joy  and 
sorrow,  shade  and  sunshine.  To-day  we  linger  amid 
scenes  of  beauty  and  love ;  to-morrow  we  meet  with 
sickness,  sorrow,  and  death !  To-day  all  is  bright  and 
beautiful ;  to-morrow  adversity  wraps  us  in  gloom, 
cheerless,  rayless,  and  dismal!  To-day  the  sweetest 
flowers  deck  the  brow ;  to-morrow  they  shed  their  fra- 
grance over  a  stiffened  corpse  !  Hope,  as  rosy  as  dewy 
morn,  springs  up  within  the  heart  and  is  blighted ;  beau- 
teous visions  arise  and  are  transformed  into  hideous 
realities ;  magnificent  undertakings  result  in  splendid 
failures ;  the  most  gigantic  achievements  of  intellect  are 
doomed  to  decay ;  gladness  ends  in  sorrow,  health  in 
sickness,  and  life  in  death. 

"  Pallida  mors  sequo  pede  pulsat  pauperum  tabernas 
Regumque  turres." 

Trust  in  Him,  fair  girl,  who  alone  hath  power  to  save 


180  LILY     WHITE. 

you ;  and  who  can  tell  but  that  ere  long  the  darkness  may 
vanish,  that  beautiful  flowers  may  adorn  your  path,  that 
the  birds  may  sing  their  most  dulcet  measures  for  your 
delight,  and  that  all  the  black  and  ominous  clouds  may 
be  driven  from  your  horizon,  leaving  it  calm,  lovely,  and 
serene  ? 


'  If  this  world  we  inhabit — this  waking  and  sleeping, 

Were  really  life's  sum,  its  beginning  and  end, 
Existence  itself  would  be  scarcely  worth  keeping, 

And  all  little  worth  that  to  nothing  must  tend. 
But  God's  living  Scripture  lies  star-writ  before  us ; 

There's  comfort  mid  sorrow — as  many  may  find : 
While  the  wing  of  eternity  is  hovering  o'er  us, 

Let's  bear  with  misfortune,  and  still  never  mind. 

'  If  life  were  absorbed  in  receiving  and  paying, 

In  getting  and  spending — and  thus  to  the  close ; 
If  Faith  never  came,  its  bright  future  displaying, 

One  could  weep  life  away  and  be  glad  to  repose. 
But  the  spirit  of  Faith,  like  an  angel  ascending, 

The  shadow  of  years,  like  a  dream,  leaves  behind ; 
Life's  troubles  and  trials  and  tears  have  an  ending, 

'Tis  but  for  a  time — never  mind — never  mind." 


What  has  become  of  Simonetta  Pitti,  the  beautiful, 
dark-eyed,  generous  Italian  maiden?  Has  she  sought 
some  beauteous  glen  far  amid  the  mountains,  where  the 
flowers  bloom  perpetually,  where  the  brilliant  dew-drops 
linger  till  noon-tide  in  its  shady  depths,  where  sparkling 
streams  dance  in  glee  over  glittering  pebbles  and  golden 
sands,  where  the  industrious  bee  murmurs  all  the  day 
long,  and  where  no  cruel  persecutor  interrupts  the  peace 


LILY    WHITE.  181 

and  perfect  happiness  of  her  life  ?    Does  she  stroll  forth 
to  meet  the  sun,  peeping  over  the  distant  hills, — 


-  effulgent,  from  amid  the  flush 


Of  broken  clouds,  gay  shifting  to  his  beam ;" 

or  to  deck  her  long  raven  tresses  with  newly-opened 
wild  flowers,  or  to  bathe  her  gracefully  tapering  limbs 
in  some  crystal  fountain,  gushing  from  the  cool  recesses 
of  an  over-hanging  cliff?  Does  she  wander  forth  at 
soft  even-tide,  when  the  birds  sing  low  and  sweet,  when 
the  zephyrs  are  playing  gently  with  "  the  many  twink- 
ling leaves"  of  the  grand  old  forest-trees,  when  the  mists 
up-rising  from  the  faery  glen  are  mantling  the  mountain's 
brow  with  a  silvery  veil,  when  the  shepherd's  pipe  is 
heard  far  away  amid  the  pastoral  hills,  when  a  myriad  of 
sparkling  fire-flies  are  dashing  like  tiny  meteors  through 
the  dark  green  foliage  ?  Or  is  her  home  a  neat  white 
cottage,  with  luxuriant  vines  clustering  in  festoons  about 
the  casement  ?  No,  alas  !  no.  This  picture  is  too  bright 
and  joyous  to  be  real.  Do  you  see  that  single  ray  of 
light  that  comes  gleaming  through  the  gloom  of  night  ? 
There,  in  an  humble  dwelling,  situated  in  a  remote  part  of 
Venice, — the  "  Ocean  Queen," — was  seated  the  Italian 
girl.  By  her  side  was  an  aged  female,  listening  in 
breathless  anxiety  to  the  words  of  Simonetta.  This  was 
Lucretia,  the  mother  of  Simonetta.  The  room  presented 
no  appearance  of  the  splendor  and  magnificence  that 
characterized  the  Palace  of  Pitti.  The  furniture  was 
plain  and  simple,  but  was  arranged  with  care  and  pre- 
cision. On  leaving  Florence  they  brought  with  them 
but  two  servants — a  male,  whose  duty  it  was  to  provide 
all  things  necessary  for  their  wants  and  comfort,  and  a 


182  LILY     WHITE. 

female,  to  attend  upon  her  fair  young  mistress.  This 
female  servant  was  the  same  who  threw  into  Eugene's 
window  the  note  warning  him  of  danger  and  advising 
him  to  fly  for  safety. 

Before  they  bade  farewell  to  the  ancient  and  honored 
Pitti  Palace,  Simonetta  unbosomed  herself  to  her  mo- 
ther, and  informed  her  how  she  had  been  insulted  and 
persecuted  by  Bernardo ;  how  he  had  threatened ;  how 
her  father  had  been  cruelly  incarcerated  in  a  dungeon; 
how  his  death  had  occurred,  and  how  wretched  and  mise- 
rable she  was  amid  all  these  tribulations.  Her  mother 
was  a  proud,  though  kind-hearted  woman.  She  remem- 
bered the  time  when  the  name  of  Pitti  was  respected  and 
honored  throughout  the  Republic  of  Florence ;  when  her 
palace  was  the  home  of  the  distinguished  men  of  the 
age — poets,  painters,  and  philosophers ;  when  her  tables 
groaned  beneath  the  weight  of  viands  brought  from  all 
quarters  of  the  earth;  and  when  guests  were  treated 
with 

" wines  in  old  jars  stamped  with  the  seals 

Of  kings  whose  bones  are  dust." 

Such  were  the  fond  recollections  of  the  mother,  of 
those  days  of  splendor  and  glory,  when  her  house, 
boasting  a  long  line  of  renowned  ancestors,  was  at  the 
zenith  of  its  power.  She  could  not  bear  the  thought 
of  having  her  darling  and  noble  daughter,  the  pride  and 
solace  of  her  declining  years,  insulted  and  tormented  by 
a  priest,  although  she  herself  was  a  zealous  and  obedient 
Catholic.  Hence  she  determined  to  quit  her  palace, 
leave  her  wealth,  and  seek  an  asylum  of  safety  beyond 
the  reach  of  a  foe  so  cruel,  hard-hearted,  and  unprinci- 


LILY      WHITE.  183 

pled  as  Bernardo.  She  saw  that  the  splendor  and  power 
of  her  family  was  wasting  away  never  again  to  blaze 
forth,  and  she  resolved  to  be  an  exile  from  the  "land  of 
her  fathers."  Accordingly,  she,  in  company  with  her 
daughter  and  those  faithful  servants,  secretly  left  Flor- 
ence, where  they  had  spent  so  many  years  of  happiness 
and  contentment. 

Doubtless,  Simonetta,  in  hopes  of  once  more  meeting 
with  Eugene  Saunders,  influenced  her  mother  to  direct 
her  flight  toward  Venice. 

"  My  daughter,  said  Lucretia,  in  answer  to  some  pre- 
vious remark  of  Simonetta,  "you  must  be  mistaken." 

"  No,  mother,  I  am  not  deceived.  I  have  heard  that 
voice  too  often,  not  only  at  the  confessional  but  else- 
where, and  I  have  beheld  those  dark  and  sparkling  eyes 
too  frequently  fixed  upon  me,  to  be  mistaken.  No,  mo- 
ther, it  was  Bernardo !" 

"  Impossible,  my  child  !  Father  Bernardo  could  not 
have  regained  sufficient  strength  to  be  so  soon  in 
Venice." 

"  Oh  !  my  mother,  you  do  not  know  Father  Bernardo. 
Sometimes  I  am  almost  convinced  that  he  can  be  in  two 
places  at  one  and  the  same  time — that  he  possesses  the 
power  of  ubiquity.  Where  you  least  expect  him,  lo ! 
there  he  stands  with  his  pale  countenance  fixed  upon 
you !  Oh  !  he  can  glide  like  a  ghost,  and  haunt  one's 
footsteps  like  an  evil  spirit !  Although  I  was  disguised 
as  a  page  yet  he  knew  me,  mother — I  know  he  did ;  for 
wherever  I  turned  there  he  was,  like  a  blood-hound,  on 
my  track.  I  fled,  but  he  followed,  and  it  was  with  diffi- 
culty that  I  at  last  made  my  escape." 


184  LILY     WHITE. 

"You  have  not  escaped!"  said  a  deep,  stern  voice, 
close  beside  Simonetta. 

She  turned  her  head  in  the  direction  whence  the  voice 
came,  and,  screaming,  rushed  to  her  mother  and  fell 
prostrate  at  her  feet,  begging  her  to  save  and  protect 
her  daughter.  It  was  Bernardo,  the  holy  father. 

"Why  is  it,  my  daughter,"  said  he,  "that  the  pre- 
sence of  your  priest  and  confessor  should  thus  excite 
and  alarm  you?  If  I  am  that  evil  spirit,  that  glid- 
ing ghost  which  you  represent  me,  you  should  not  be 
surprised  at  seeing  me  at  any  moment.  Did  I  not  tell 
you  that  the  Church  of  Rome  had  many  eyes  ?  Simon- 
etta Pitti,  you  cannot  escape  me  !  My  vigilance  would 
search  you  out  though  you  should  seek  other  and  dis- 
tant climes.  I  would  travel  over  plains,  mountains,  seas, 
and  burning  deserts ;  I  would  endure  the  rigors  of  winter 
and  the  scorching  heats  of  summer ;  I  would  suffer  the 
pangs  of  hunger  and  the  cravings  of  thirst ;  I  would 
face  disease  in  all  its  hideous  and  loathsome  forms ;  I 
would  cause  an  ocean  of  tears  and  wade  through  rivers 
of  blood,  rather  than  you  should  escape  me !  A  pro- 
fessed Catholic,  you  shun  your  confessor  and  follow  a 
heretic !  You  offer  prayers  to  the  Holy  Virgin  Mary, 
yet  sin  against  her  pious  teachings !  You  count  your 
beads,  while  your  thoughts  are  straying  to  a  stranger's 
name  !  You  have  sinned  against  every  sacred  principle 
of  that  holy  religion  in  which  you  have  been  nurtured 
from  your  infancy !  You  have  abused  your  spiritual 
adviser,  and  have  scorned  him  from  your  presence  as 
you  would  a  viper !" 

During  this  speech  Simonetta  had  recovered  to  some 


LILY     WHITE.'  185 

extent  from  the  surprise  and  alarm  caused  by  the  mys- 
terious appearance  of  Bernardo. 

"I  am  somewhat  astonished,"  continued  he,  address- 
ing Lucretia,  "  that  you  have  sanctioned  the  conduct  of 
your  daughter  in  this  open  disobedience  to  the  authority 
of  her  priest." 

"  Pardon  me,  pardon  me,  Father  Bernardo/'^aid  Lu- 
cretia, extending  her  hands  in  supplication  toward  him. 
It  seemed  that  all  the  influence  of  Popery  was  instantly 
exerted  over  her.  For  the  first  time  it  appeared  to  her 
that  she  had  violated  the  mandates  of  the  Church,  and 
had  sinned  against  one  who  had  long  been  her  spiritual 
adviser  and  mediator.  She  had  gone  astray  so  far  as  to 
forget  that  a  priest  was  infallible ;  that  her  soul,  after 
death,  could  be  doomed  by  him  to  the  sombre  shades  of 
Purgatory,  or  damned  in  the  hissing  fires  of  the  deepest 
hell !  She  now  saw  that  she  had  erred,  nay,  that  she 
had  sinned,  not  against  her  God,  but  against  her  priest ! 
In  following  the  simple  maxim,  that  "  self-preservation 
is  the  first  law  of  nature,"  she  had  incurred  the  wrath 
of  her  Church  and  was  guilty  of  a  heinous  crime.  Ber- 
nardo, the  canting  hypocrite,  the  fawning  sycophant,  the 
cunning  knave,  and  the  licentious  villain,  now  that  he 
stood  before  her,  vanished,  and  the  holy  officer  and  priest 
filled  her  with  reverential  awe. 

Simonetta,  seeing  her  mother  so  deeply  impressed 
with  religious  feelings,  and  being  herself  a  firm  believer 
in  the  doctrines  of  Catholicism,  and  fearing  the  fury  of 
Bernardo,  yielded  to  the  importunities  of  Lucretia,  and 
bowed  before  the  priest  as  if  he  had  been  a  saint  from 
on  high. 

What  a  picture  of  religious  worship !  What  an  out- 
16 


186  LILY     WHITE. 

rage  against  high  Heaven !  It  was,  indeed,  a  solemn 
and  imposing  scene  to  witness  those  two  females :  one 
advanced  in  life  and  showing  the  footprints  of  time  on 
her  brow,  the  other  young,  ardent,  and  beautiful,  kneel- 
ing in  faith  before  this  bold,  bad  man,  whose  best  mo- 
tive was  to  blight  and  whose  holiest  aim  was  to  ruin.  As 
he  gazed  upon  Simonetta,  with  her  dark  lustrous  eyes 
upturned  for  his  forgiveness,  a  smile  of  triumph  lit  up 
his  pale  features,  and  lingered  for  a  moment  on  his  lip. 
He  drew  from  his  bosom  a  golden  cross  and  presented  it 
to  the  lips  of  each  in  turn,  and  then  extended  it  so  that 
it  could  be  in  full  view. 

"I  rejoice,"  said  he,  "to  see  that  you  humble  your- 
selves and  repent  of  your  transgressions.  Remember  be- 
fore whom  you  bow,  and  speak  accordingly.  If  you  hope 
for  my  forgiveness  and  intercession,  you  must  freely  un- 
bosom yourselves  to  me.  Trust  in  me.  First  answer 
the  questions  I  shall  ask  you,"  said  he  to  Lucretia. 

"  Do  you  believe  in  the  Holy  Roman  Catholic  Church? 
Answer  truthfully,  if  you  hope  for  my  forgiveness." 

"I  do,"  said  Lucretia. 

"Do  you  believe  in  the  infallibility  of  the  priest- 
hood?" 

"I  do,"  she  said,  after  some  hesitation,  during  which 
time  a  dark  and  gloomy  frown  gathered  upon  the  brow 
of  Bernardo. 

"Do  you  trust  in  the  Holy  Virgin  Mary  ?" 

"  I  do,  father." 

"  Do  you  believe  in  the  seven  sacraments  ?" 

"I  do." 

"Do  you  believe  in  transubstantiation ?" 

"I  do." 


LILY     WHITE.  187 

"  Do  you  pray  to  the  saints,  angels,  and  holy  evan- 
gelists?" 

"I  do,  father." 

"  Do  you  regard  all  persons  holding  a  faith  different 
from  that  taught  in  our  religion  as  heretics  and  ac- 
cursed?" 

"I  do." 

"  Do  you  doubt  that  I,  as  your  priest,  have  the  power 
and  authority  to  absolve  you  from  sin?" 

"I  do  not,  holy  father." 

"  Have  you  taught  Simonetta  to  shun  me  and  avoid 
the  confessional  ?" 

"  Only  so  far,  father,  as  our  flight  from  Florence  may 
be  considered  in  that  light." 

"If  you  heartily  repent  of  your  errors,"  said  he, 
"  and  promise  to  be  obedient  and  punctual  in  the  dis- 
charge of  all  your  duties,  which  are  laid  down  in  our 
ancient  religion,  I  forgive  you." 

"I  repent  and  promise,. father." 

"  Then  receive  this  Agnus  Dei,"  said  he ;  "  arise,  and 
sin  no  more.  Retire  to  the  adjoining  room,  and  leave 
this  penitent  to  my  care  and  godly  counsel." 

Lucretia  did  as  Bernardo  directed ;  and  as  she  disap- 
peared Simonetta  anxiously  turned  her  eyes  in  the  direc- 
tion of  the  door.  A  palor  spread  over  her  cheeks ;  her 
breathing  became  thick  and  fast ;  a  tremor  ran  over 
her  frame  when  she  found  herself  alone  with  the  mos£ 
daring  of  men  and  the  bitterest  of  enemies.  Bernardo 
proceeded  to  ask  the  same  questions  which  he  put  to  her 
mother,  and  which  we  think  unnecessary  to  repeat. 

"Now,"  said  he,  fixing  his  glittering  eyes  upon  Si- 
monetta, who  with  clasped  hands  bowed  before  him,  "  as 


188  LILY     WHITE. 

you  hope  for  peace  and  happiness  during  life,  and  rest 
for  your  soul  after  death,  answer  the  questions  which  I 
shall  ask  you,  ever  remembering  that  you  cannot  deceive 
me.  Do  you  love  Eugene  Saunders  ?" 

The  tears  gushed  to  Simonetta's  eyes,  and  a  rich 
crimson  glow  mantled  her  brow  which  only  a  moment 
before  was  deadly  pale.  She  seemed  to  have  lost  the 
power  of  speech,  and  her  chin  rested  upon  her  round 
and  heaving  bosom.  If  Eugene  had  asked  that  question 
how  different  would  have  been  her  feelings ;  but  coming 
as  it  did  from  a  selfish  heart,  and  dictated  for  a  selfish 
purpose,  caused  her  to  pause  and  reflect.  She  was 
wavering  between  maidenly  modesty  and  religious  awe, 
between  prudence  and  a  solemn  duty.  Bernardo  was 
too  profoundly  skilled  in  all  the  various  shades  of  human 
nature,  and  all  the  wondrous  workings  of  the  human 
heart,  not  to  have  discovered  the  reason  of  this  silence 
and  embarrassment.  Wishing  to  throw  the  balance  in 
his  own  favor,  he  said, — 

"  By  all  the  saints,  I  command  you  to  speak,  else 
arise  and  be  numbered  among  the  condemned  and  ac- 
cursed!" 

When  Simonetta  heard  this  she  elevated  her  eyes,  now 
radiant  and  sparkling  with  determination,  and  said, — 

"  Yes,  father,  I  do  love  Eugene  Saunders,  with  the 
purest,  holiest,  and  deepest  love  of  a  woman's  heart !  I 
respect  him  for  his  virtues,  and  for  his  manly  courage 
and  noble  generosity  I  love  him." 

"  Ha !  I  thought  as  much,  and  find  I  am  not  mis- 
taken !  Would  that  your  tongue  had  been  paralyzed  as 
you  made  that  declaration  !" 

"  Oh  !  father,  do  not  curse  me  when  I  kneel  for  your 


LILT     WHITE.  189 

forgiveness.  Did  you  not  command  me  to  speak  the 
truth,  and,  like  a  devout  Catholic,  have  I  not  obeyed 
your  words  ?" 

"  Why  do  you  give  away  to  this  feeling,  my  daughter, 
when  by  so  doing  you  sin  against  every  precept  of  our 
religion?" 

"  You  know,  father,  that  we  cannot  always  overcome 
our  feelings.  I  am  aware  that  my  love  is  fruitless ;  that 
Eugene  Saunders  will  never  return  it.  I  have  struggled 
against  the  flame,  but  in  vain." 

"Eugene  Saunders,"  said  Bernardo,  "is  a  foreigner 
and  a  heretic,  and  is  undeserving  your  love.  Banish 
him,  my  daughter,  from  your  thoughts,  as  one  who  has 
outraged  the  Church  of  Rome,  and  trifled  with  your 
feelings.  Have  you  not  seen  him  since  your  arrival  in 
Venice,  even  this  night,  upon  the  Square  of  St.  Mark  ?" 

"I  have,  father." 

"  Did  you  have  any  conversation  with  him  ?" 

"  I  passed  a  few  words  with  him,  but  he  knew  not 
who  it  was  that  addressed  him." 

"You  knew,  then,"  asked  Bernardo,  "that  Eugene 
Saunders  was  here,  ere  you  left  Florence  ?" 

"  I  did,  holy  father.  But  forgive  me,  if  I  refuse  to 
inform  you  by  what  means  I  learned  that  fact." 

"What!  do  my  ears  deceive  me?  Do  you  positively 
refuse  to  unbosom  yourself  to  your  confessor?  You 
know  not  what  you  say.  Think  of  a  dreary  dungeon, 
or  of  being  bound  by  the  cord  of  excommunication. 
Will  you  speak  ?  will  you  inform  me  who  gave  you  that 
information?" 

"Father,  it  was  Uglino,  and  he  learned  it  from  Frank 
Morton,  the  American  artist." 
1G* 


190  LILY     WHITE. 

Bernardo  started  as  if  stung  by  an  adder.  His 
cheeks  were  blanched  to  the  whiteness  of  marble.  His 
eyes  sparkled,  and  his  form  quivered  with  the  most  vio- 
lent emotion ;  he  took  two  or  three  rapid  strides  across 
the  small  room,  muttering  to  himself,  and  then  paused 
in  front  of  Simonetta,  who,  being  weary  of  a  kneeling 
posture,  had  seated  herself  upon  the  floor. 

"What!  is  it  possible,  that  Uglino,  a  professed 
Catholic,  and  one  in  whom  I  placed  unbounded  confi- 
dence, has  proved  a  traitor?  The  hoary  scoundrel," 
said  the  enraged  priest  elevating  his  voice,  "  I  will 
crush  his  life  out  of  his  vile  carcass !  I  will  tear  him 
asunder !  I  will  confront  him  with  his  outrageous  vil- 
lanies,  and  grind  him  into  the  dust  with  my  heel !  Like 
an  avalanche,  my  wrath  shall  descend  upon  him !  Like 
an  enraged  and  hungry  lion  I  will  crouch  upon  his 
pathway,  and,  springing  upon  him,  I  will  rend  his  heart- 
strings asunder,  and  bathe  my  feverish  hands  in  the 
warm  tide  of  his  ebbing  blood  !  Ah  !  how  I  will  mock 
him  as  the  fearful  death-struggle  convulses  his  frame, 
and  how  I  will  exult  when  he  cries  in  vain  for  mercy ! 
His  body  shall  be  cast  upon  the  highway,  a  prey  for  the 
beasts  of  the  field  and  the  vultures  of  the  air !" 

Though  the  Italian  maiden  had  often  seen  Bernardo 
under  the  influence  of  his  fierce  and  ungovernable  tem- 
per, yet  she  had  never  before  beheld  him  so  far  carried 
away  as  he  now  appeared  to  be.  She  feared  to  speak, 
lest  the  tide  of  his  wrath  might  be  turned  against  her. 

"And  you,"  said  he,  turning  upon  her,  "  have  leagued 
with  the  rest  against  me.  Remember,  girl,  that  .the  vigor 
and  pride  of  your  house  has  departed,  and  that  you  are 
now  more  than  ever  in  my  power.  You  need  not  strug- 


LILY     WHITE.  191 

gle  against  your  fate,  you  shall  be  to  me  as  a  wife. 
Remember  what  I  say ;  my  eye  shall  be  upon  your  ac- 
tions." 

Bernardo  glided  quickly  from  the  room  and  was  soon 
in  the  open  air,  his  bosom  filled  with  the  raging  and 
consuming  fire  of  jealousy,  envy,  and  disappointment. 


CHAPTER  XVI. 

Alone  in  the  dark,  alone  on  the  wave, 

To  buffet  the  storm  alone, — 
To  struggle  aghast  at  the  watery  grave, 
To  struggle,  and  feel  there  is  none  to  save, — 

God  shield  thee,  helpless  one  ! 

MRS.  E.  OAKES  SMITH. 

THE  morning  after  the  incidents  narrated  in  the  pre- 
vious chapter,  Fanny  Lanier  awoke  at  an  early  hour. 
On  opening  her  eyes  she  was  astonished  to  find  that 
portion  of  the  bed  untouched  that  was  usually  occupied 
by  her  sister.  She  arose,  and  having  hastily  dressed  her- 
self, went  into  the  little  parlor  where  she  had  left  Lily 
on  the  previous  night.  But  Lily  was  nowhere  to  be  seen. 
Fanny  became  alarmed  and  called  aloud  her  name.  No 
answer  came.  Going  back  to  her  sleeping  apartment, 
she  discovered  the  note  which  her  sister  had  written  in 
sorrow  and  tears,  when  about  to  fly  forth  into  the  dark 
and  dangerous  streets  of  Venice.  As  she  read  those 
lines,  blotted  and  dimmed  with  tears,  and  knew  that  her 
dear  sister,  whom  she  loved  so  well,  and  in  whom  she 
confided  as  in  a  mother,  had  fled,  and  was  perhaps  suf- 


192  LILY     WHITE. 

fering  from  grief  and  want,  or,  what  was  worse,  had 
thrown  herself  into  the  canal  and  was  drowned,  a  feel- 
ing of  suffocation  crept  over  her.  Having  finished  the 
note,  she  screamed  aloud  and  fell  senseless  upon  the 
floor.  In  a  moment  great  excitement  prevailed  through- 
out the  hotel.  Col.  Lanier  heard  the  scream,  and  his 
conscience  smote  him!  It  immediately  flashed  upon 
him  that  Lily  had  destroyed  herself,  and  that  Fanny 
had  just  discovered  that  sad  event.  Like  a  guilty 
wretch  he  trembled,  knowing  not  whether  he  should  fly 
or  seek  the  cause  of  this  untimely  disturbance. 

On  the  previous  night  Pietro  had  been  summoned  to 
his  room  and  had  failed  to  come.  The  reader  knows  the 
reason,  but  as  yet  Col.  Lanier  was  in  ignorance  of  the 
cause.  While  he  was  deliberating  in  his  mind  what 
course  was  most  prudent  on  his  part,  a  large  crowd  had 
gathered  in  and  about  the  room  in  which  Fanny  was 
lying  in  a  swoon.  Captain  Harris  was  supporting  her 
head;  some  were  engaged  in  rubbing  her  hands  and 
arms,  and  others  were  administering  restoratives.  Col. 
Lanier  entered. 

"In  the  name  of  God,"  said  he,  "what  does  all  this 
mean?  What  is  the  matter?  Will  no  one  answer? 
What !  is  my  daughter  dead  ?" 

"This,  Colonel,"  said  Harris,  handing  him  Lily's 
note,  "will  explain  it  all." 

With  a  trembling  hand  Col.  Lanier  took  the  note  and 
eagerly  read  its  contents.  For  an  instant  he  seemed 
struggling  between  disappointment  and  anger.  He  was 
evidently  relieved  that  Lily's  note  did  not  in  any  man- 
ner implicate  him.  He  remembered  that  she  had 
threatened  to  destroy  herself  by  leaping  into  the  canal, 


LILY     WHITE.  193 

and  lie  feared  that  his  actions  on  the  previous  night  had 
determined  her  course. 

Beneath  the  active  treatment  of  kind  friends,  Fanny 
soon  showed  signs  of  returning  life,  and  in  a  few  mo- 
ments was  able  to  sit  up  without  assistance. 

"What  has  happened?"  said  she,  when  she  awoke  to 
consciousness ;  "  why  is  this  great  crowd  collected  in 
my  room  ?  Where  is  sister  Lily  ?" 

With  that  question  came  back  the  sad  and  solemn 
conviction  that  her  sister  had  gone  she  knew  not 
whither.  On  seeing  her  father,  she  cried, — 

"  Oh !  my  dear  father,  our  good,  kind  Lily,  has  fled 
from  us.  I  fear  that  she  has  thrown  herself  into  the 
canal.  Have  it  searched,  my  father,  in  every  direction. 
Search  every  corner  of  Venice.  Oh !  Captain  Harris, 
fly  to  her  rescue,  fly  !  I  fear  that  Lily's  mind  was  not 
right ;  for  several  days  her  actions  have  been  strange 
and  her  language  wild." 

"It  shall  be  done,"  said  Captain  Harris;  and  Col. 
Lanier  having  placed  Fanny  in  the  care  of  several  kind- 
hearted  females  who  had  been  drawn  thither  by  the 
noise,  went  forth  to  institute  a  search  after  poor  Lily 
White.  The  crowd  that  had  collected  about  the  door 
followed  them  down  the  steps  to  the  canal.  Captain 
Harris  found  a  handkerchief,  which  Lily  had  lost  on  the 
evening  before,  lying  on  the  pavement.  On  one  corner 
was  her  name.  Those  who  were  pressing  immediately 
after  Col.  Lanier  and  Captain  Harris,  seeing  the  hand- 
kerchief, and  overhearing  what  was  said  by  them,  re- 
peated it  to  those  behind,  until  soon  the  murmur  grew 
into  the  cry, — 

"  She  is  drowned  !  she  is  drowned !" 


194  LILY     WHITE. 

It  is  astonishing  with  what  wonderful  rapidity  any 
sudden  accident  or  misfortune  spreads.  It  is  whispered 
from  ear  to  ear,  and  lingers  upon  the  lips  of  every 
passer-by,  until  it  seems  borne  along  upon  the  wings  of 
the  wind.  If  it  be  of  a  startling  or  terrific  nature,  the 
mechanic  drops  his  hammer,  the  blacksmith  quits  his 
forge,  even  bare-headed  and  with  his  leather  apron  on ; 
the  lawyer  lays  aside  his  papers,  the  student  his  books, 
and  all  rush  along  in  one  common  mass  either  to  lend 
assistance  or  to  gratify  an  idle  curiosity.  Who  has  not 
heard  at  night,  when  everything  was  still,  the  fearful, 
startling  cry — -fire  !  fire  I  fire  I — and  who  has  not  seen, 
in  a  few  moments  after  that  wild  cry  broke  the  silence 
of  the  night,  many  a  ghastly  face  upturned  upon  some 
noble  structure  wrapt  in  furious  flames  ?  All  was  now 
bustle  and  confusion.  Gondolas  sped  hither  and 
thither,  and  so  swiftly  did  the  rumor  fly  that  a  lady 
had  been  drowned  in  the  Grand  Canal,  that  in  less  than 
half  an  hour  the  whole  water  was  crowded  with  vessels. 
The  balconies  on  either  side  of  the  water  was  filled  with 
ladies,  and  the  crowd  gathered  so  rapidly  that  it  became 
necessary,  before  the  search  could  be  conducted  with  any 
system  or  certainty,  to  stretch  ropes  from  side  to  side 
to  prevent  any,  except  Col.  Lanier,  Captain  Harris,  and 
others  who  intended  to  assist,  from  coming  within  the 
space  which  was  supposed  to  contain  the  body  of  Lily 
White.  To  eflect  these  things  required  some  time. 
Finally  everything  was  ready  and  the  search  com- 
menced. Now  the  voices  of  that  multitude  grew  into 
confusion.  Those  behind  pressed  forward  to  see  what 
was  going  on  in  front ;  while  those  in  front,  held  tightly 
by  the  strong  cables,  cried  aloud  in  vengeance  to  those 


LILY     WHITE.  195 

in  the  rear.  Those  who  could  not  see  the  operators 
cried  out,  from  time  to  time, — 

"  Have  they  found  her  ?     Have  they  found  her  ?" 

Some  fell  overboard  and  were  picked  up  dripping 
wet.  Some  swore,  others  raved. 

Still  the  search  went  on.  In  the  centre  of  the  canal 
was  the  gondola  of  Col.  Lanier. 

"See!  see!"  said  a  voice  in  the  crowd,  "Father 
Pietro  wishes  to  speak  with  the  old  gentleman !" 

The  priest  was  standing  on  the  steps,  and  beckoned  to 
Col.  Lanier  to  approach.  So  soon  as  the  Colonel  saw 
Pietro  his  countenance  brightened,  and  with  two  strokes 
of  his  oar  he  was  by  his  side. 

"I  wonder,"  said  another  voice,  "what  business  they 
can  have  together  just  at  this  particular  time?" 

"Oh!"  said  a  third,  "he  wants  the  holy  father  to 
say  mass  for  the  poor  girl's  soul." 

"They  seem  to  be  in  earnest  conversation,"  said  the 
first  who  had  spoken. 

"  They  are  differing  about  the  price,"  said  the  second. 

"  I'll  warrant  Father  Pietro  will  make  him  pay  well 
for  his  services,"  said  the  third. 

"  That  he  will,"  was  the  reply. 

Col.  Lanier  returned  once  more  to  his  former  position 
with  a  gleam  of  satisfaction  playing  upon  his  counte- 
nance, while  the  priest  kept  his  position  upon  the  steps. 

"  The  old  gentleman  seems  to  feel  better,  since  con- 
sulting with  a  priest,"  said  one. 

"That  he  does,"  echoed  another ;  "though  I  am  a 
good  Catholic,  yet  I  venture  to  declare  that  there  is  a 
perfect  understanding  between  them." 

Many  such  remarks  as  these  were  made  by  persons 


196  LILY     WHITE. 

in  that  crowd.  In  that  vast  assembly  was  one  who 
had  been  a  silent  spectator  of '  all  that  had  transpired. 
Though  silent,  yet  he  was  not  unfeeling.  At  first  he 
feared  that  Lily  White  was  drowned ;  but  so  soon  as  he 
saw  Pietro  beckon  to  Col.  Lanier,  and  witnessed  his 
satisfied  and  triumphant  air,  he  was  convinced  that  Lily 
was  not  dead.  This  individual  was  masked,  and  was 
seated  near  the  extended  ropes.  He  appeared  young 
and  athletic,  and  there  was  that  in  his  whole  appear- 
ance that  betokened  him  a  man  of  undaunted  courage. 
He  saw  that  the  crowd  was  imposed  upon ;  that  while 
they  were  dragging  the  canal  for  Lily,  she  was  inclosed 
within  the  convent  walls ;  that  all  efforts  served  but  to 
consume  time  and  to  endanger  life.  He  could  no  longer 
restrain  his  indignation  nor  smother  his  enraged  feel- 
ings. He  stood  erect  in  his  gondola  and  waved  his 
hand  to  gain  attention.  Those  in  the  rear  seeing  the 
motion  and  thinking  that  it  was  to  let  them  know  that 
the  body  had  been  found,  raised  a  shout  that  echoed  far 
and  near. 

"Silence!  silence!"  shouted  one,  "the  mask  wishes 
to  speak." 

"Let's  hear  what  he  has  to  say,"  said  another. 

"  Hush  !  hark  !  he  speaks,"  said  still  another. 

The  individual  elevated  his  clear,  manly  voice,  and 
said, — 

"Venetians!  .  I  admire  the  interest  you  manifest  on 
this  occasion;  but  you  have  left  your  workshops  this 
morning  to  be  deceived.  The  body  of  the  maiden  does 
not  lie  in  the  canal.  Ask  that  man,"  said  he,  pointing 
to  Col.  Lanier,  "and  he  can  tell  you,  if  he  will,  what 
has  become  of  her.  See !  how  he  turns  pale  and  cowers 


LILY     WHITE.  197 

from  your  gaze  !     Lily  White  is  not  dead,  but  even  now 
lives !" 

This  was  spoken  in  Italian ;  and  though  Col.  Lanier 
did  not  understand  a  word  of  that  language,  yet  he 
knew,  from  the  tone  and  looks  of  the  speaker,  and  the 
manner  in  which  the  crowd  regarded  him,  that  he  was 
exposed. 

"Let's  drown  the  old  sinner  in  the  canal,"  shouted 
at  once  a  dozen  men. 

"  Hurrah  for  the  masque  !"  others  cried. 

"Down,  down  with  the  deceiver!"  now  came  from  all 
parts  of  the  crowd.  The  ropes  which  had  served  to 
keep  them  back  were  cut  in  pieces,  and  several  gondolas 
were  making  for  the  one  containing  Col.  Lanier.  Pietro 
perceiving  what  would  be  the  result  if  the  tide  was  not 
instantly  checked,  addressed  them  thus : — 

"Ho !  my  children !  listen  to  the  voice  of  your  priest. 
What  would  you  do?  Injure  this  good  man,  because 
one,  who  dares  not  show  his  face,  has  thrown  out  some 
dark  insinuations  against  him.  Pause !  reflect,  ere 
you  commit  a  sin  from  which  even  your  priest  cannot 
absolve  you.  I  myself  do  not  believe  that  the  body  of 
the  maiden  is  to  be  found  in  this  canal ;  not,  however, 
from  anything  this  man  has  said,  but  because  it  has 
been  sufficiently  examined  to  induce  that  conviction. 
Therefore,  by  all  the  patron  saints,  I  command  you  to 
desist  from  violence.  Disperse  in  peace,  and  seek  your 
workshops  and  your  homes." 

"  The  father  speaks  rightly,"  said  one  who  had  been 
most  forward  a  moment  before. 

"  I  did  not  view  the  matter  in  that  light,"  replied 
another. 

17 


198  LILY     WHITE. 

The  crowd  taking  the  priest  at  his  word,  soon  dis- 
persed. Col.  Lanier  returned  to  the  room  to  offer  to 
his  daughter  Fanny  what  consolation  his  guilty  con- 
science would  permit.  Captain  Harris  sought  the 
sparkling  wine-cup  to  drown  his  sorrow  for  the  loss  of 
Lily  White,  and  Eugene  Saunders,  who  was  the  masked 
speaker,  went  to  the  Palace  of  Castruccio, 


CHAPTER  XVII. 

To  hell  allegiance !  vows,  to  the  blackest  devil. 
Conscience  and  grace,  to  the  profoundest  pit ! 
I  dare  damnation ;  to  this  point  I  stand — 
That  both  the  worlds  I  give  to  negligence, 
Let  come  -what  comes :  only  I'll  be  revenged. 

SHAKSPEARE — HAMLET. 

.  IN  some  of  the  preceding  pages  we  have  seen  what  a 
powerful  influence  Roman  Catholicism  exerts  over  its 
votaries.  By  prejudice  it  blinds,  by  cruelty  it  intimi- 
dates, by  hypocrisy  it  deceives,  and  by  power  it  awes. 
When  once  invested  with  authority,  all  must  obey  its 
mandates  or  suffer  the  application  of  the  rack  and  tor- 
ture, and  undergo  outrages  that  insult  the  name  of  reli- 
gion and  disgrace  tlie  annals  of  history.  By  its  influ- 
ence the  virtuous  are  enticed  into  the  withering  folds  of 
vice  and  immorality,  and  are  plunged  unawares  into  the 
darkest  depths  of  crime  and  shame.  For  the  plain, 
simple,  and  beautiful  precepts  of  the  Bible,  it  has  sub- 
stituted a  hoary  superstition ;  and  instead  of  a  public 


LILY     WHITE.  199 

altar,  it  has  a  private  confessional.  Cruelty  has  taken 
the  place  of  mercy,  vice  of  virtue,  and  a  priest  of  our 
Lord  Jesus  Christ ! 

Catholicism  stands,  a  magnificent  structure,  erected 
upon  a  fallen  empire,  and  cemented  by  the  blood  of  mil- 
lions. Like  a  huge  serpent,  it  slowly  coils  itself  about 
a  province  or  nation,  and  soon  every  vestige  of  former 
grandeur  and  glory  has  departed.  For  awhile  it  slum- 
bers, but  it  never  dies.  Or  like  an  enraged  lion,  it 
rushes  from  its  place  of  concealment,  grapples  with  its 
foe,  and,  while  the  world  stands  aghast,  its  roar  of  vic- 
tory shakes  thrones  and  empires.  While  Protestants 
are  waging  war  upon  each  other  on  some  trivial  tenet  of 
faith,  the  Roman  Church  remains  a  unit  in  sentiment, 
and  it  stands  forth  a  grand  and  gigantic  power,  perfect 
in  all  its  parts,  and  ready  to  be  wielded  art  any  moment 
at  the  will  and  by  the  direction  of  the  Pope.  Hence  it 
has  withstood  the  devastating  march  of  time,  the  decay 
of  nations,  and  the  wreck  of  empires.  The  same  zeal 
and  enthusiasm  exist  within  its  ranks  that  gave  it  suc- 
cess in  past  ages ;  the  same  industry  marks  its  history 
that  overcame  difficulties  and  gained  the  power  in  the 
reign  of  Henry  IV.,  who  "found  it  necessary  to  choose 
between  his  religion  and  his  crown  ;"  the  same  mystery 
that  charmed  the  devotee  during  the  supremacy  of  Inno- 
cent III.,  lingers  still,  and  exerts  its  subtle  influence ; 
and  the  same  superstition  that  shrouded  Catholicism  in 
the  infancy  of  the  Venetian  Republic,  mantles  the  ca- 
thedral of  the  church  and  wraps  the  palace  of  the  Pope. 
Though  it  has  witnessed  the  downfall  of  nations  and 
kingdoms,  and  has  beheld  generation  after  generation 
pass  from  the  field  of  action,  yet  it  possesses,  at  this 


200  LILY     WHITE. 

very  day,  the  youthful  energy  and  fire  that  first  kindled 
Italy  and  Spain  into  a  burning  flame.  Though  it  has 
the  form  of  old  age,  yet  it  has  the  power  and  vigor  of 
early  manhood.  With  the  lapse  of  ages  it  has  gathered 
experience,  until  now  no  human  policy  exhibits  so  much 
perfection,  so  much  foresight,  and  so  much. wisdom. 

This,  then,  is  the  mighty  engine  of  power  against 
which  Protestantism  must  contend.  This,  then,  is  the 
enemy  against  which  every  freeman,  of  whatever  party 
or  policy,  must  raise  his  warning  voice.  Slow  in  its 
actions,  it  is  sure  in  its  results,  and  it  never  strikes  a 
blow  without  injuring  the  cause  of  Christianity  and  the 
onward  progress  of  civil  liberty.  That  there  have  lived 
and  still  live  brave  and  noble-hearted  Roman  Catholics, 
men  who  have  poured  out  their  blood  and  spent  their 
lives  in  the  cause  of  liberty,  no  one  who  knows  anything 
of  history  will  deny.  But  one  man,  or  a  thousand  men, 
must  not  be  taken  as  a  representation  of  the  Roman 
Church.  A  brave  army  may  contain  many  craven 
hearts,  and  still  be  victorious.  A  base  church  may  con- 
tain many  Christian  hearts,  and  still  triumph  over  every 
principle  of  law  and  justice,  virtue  and  honor,  Chris- 
tianity and  humanity.  Perhaps  in  no  part  of  the  world 
do  all  the  vices  of  Catholicism  stand  forth  so  glaringly 
as  in  Italy.  Being  under  the  sway  of  such  men  as  Ber- 
nardo, Italy,  with  its  classic  vales,  its  beautiful  skies,  its 
gleaming  lakes,  its  purple  hills,  its  genial  climate,  its 
lovely  cities,  has  become  a  jest  and  by-word  among  the 
nations  of  the  earth. 

"When  Bernardo  left  the  dwelling  of  Simonetta  Pitti, 
he  pursued  his  way  through  the  narrow  streets  mutter- 
ing vengeance  against  Uglino.  Fortunate  was  it  that 


LILY     WHITE.  201 

the  object  of  his  wrath  was  not  in  his  humble  dwelling 
when  the  dark-minded  priest  entered  with  the  full  deter- 
mination of  visiting  upon  him  his  pent-up  wrath.  Ber- 
nardo looked  anxiously  about  the  room,  as  if  in  hopes 
of  seeing  the  dwarf  concealed  in  some  corner.  But  he 
was  disappointed. 

"Never  mind,"  said  he,  "I  will  meet  him  yet.  He 
shall  not  escape  my  wrath.  The  base  villain,  thus  coolly 
and  deliberately  to  betray  me  !  As  a  friend  I  confided 
in  him ;  like  a  demon  he  has  abused  my  confidence,  and, 
so  help  me  Heaven,  I  will  crush  the  viper's  heart  from 
his  foul  carcass  and  give  it  to  the  waves." 

The  next  day  found  Bernardo  in  a  feverish  state  of 
excitement.  During  the  day  he  kept  his  room,  and  per- 
mitted no  one  to  enter.  He  was  preparing  his  mind  for 
the  committing  of  a  crime  which  required  a  skillful  arm 
and  great  caution  in  its  execution.  He  was  brooding 
over  the  wrong,  that  he  might,  under  the  cover  of  night, 
carry  out  his  threat  against  his  former  tool  Uglino.  He 
knew  his  adversary,  and  feared  him.  He  had,  time  and 
again,  felt  the  power  of  that  glittering  eye,  and  had  as 
often  quailed  beneath  its  flashing  glance.  Time  and 
again  he  had  felt  that  arm  against  which  he  must  now 
contend.  He  was  aware  that  Uglino  knew  enough  of 
his  past  history  to  expose  him  to  the  contempt  of  all 
honest  men,  and  even  enough  to  endanger  his  life  should 
he  unbosom  himself.  He  was  aware  that  a  single  false . 
step  might  precipitate  him  from  a  high  and  honorable 
position  to  the  lowest  depths  of  shame  and  degradation. 
He  was  aware  that  he  was  treading  upon  a  slumbering 
volcano,  that  might  in  an  instant  burst  forth  and  utterly 
destroy  him.  Notwithstanding  all  this  he  yielded  to  his 
17* 


202  LILY     WHITE. 

fierce  and  fiery  temper,  and  preferred  to  face  the  possi- 
bility of  destruction  rather  than  that  Uglino  should  pass 
unmolested.  Like  a  wild  and  savage  beast  he  walked 
his  room,  meditating  ruin  and  death.  With  impatience 
he  awaited  the  cover  of  night,  because  his  deed  was  evil. 
His  dark  eye  gleamed  with  malignity,  and  his  counte- 
nance exhibited  a  deeper  palor,  arising  in  part  from  fear 
and  in  part  from  anger.  Than  Bernardo  a  darker- 
hearted  man  never  lived.  To  his  cunning  he  united 
cruelty,  and  with  his  cowardice  he  combined  enough  of 
the  dare-devil  to  give  to  his  actions  the  appearance  of 
great  valor.  He  waged  a  perpetual  war  against  those 
softer  feelings  of  the  heart  that  should  especially  distin- 
guish the  minister  of* Christ,  and  effectually  smothered 
every  tender  and  gentle  emotion  that  marks  the  distinc- 
tion between  the  man  and  the  brute.  No  other  feeling 
but  jealousy  could  have  thus  thrown  the  cunning  priest 
and  heartless  knave  off  his  guard.  But  Simonetta,  upon 
bended  knees,  had  confessed  her  love  for  Eugene  Saun- 
ders,  and  that  confession,  like  a  poisoned  arrow,  now 
rankled  in  his  heart  and  awoke  the  slumbering  demon. 

Who  can  estimate  the  happiness  that  has  been  de- 
stroyed by  jealousy  ?  It  has  wrung  bitter  tears  from 
many  eyes,  and  has  sent  burning  curses  from  many  lips  ; 
it  bestrews  the  pathway  to  the  grave  with  briars  and 
thorns,  and  over  the  darkness  of  the  tomb  casts  a  deeper 
-gloom ;  it  banishes  contentment  from  the  family  fire- 
side, robs  home  of  its  joys,  steals  the  roses  from  the 
cheeks,  brilliancy  from  the  eye,  and  stamps  sorrow 
upon  the  heart ;  it  poisons  the  bliss  of  courtship,  and 
transforms  the  joys  of  wedded  love  into  a  hell  on 
earth. 


LILY     WHITE.  203 

It  was  night,  and  Uglino  sat  alone  in  his  room,  igno- 
rant of  the  storm  that  was  gathering  around  him.  He 
knew  not  that  Bernardo  was  on  his  track,  scenting  for 
his  very  life-blood.  A  tap  upon  his  door  announced  the 
presence  of  a  visitor.  Uglino,  starting  from  his  chair, 
opened  the  door,  and  Father  Bernardo  entered.  The 
dwarf  made  the  sign  of  the  cross  and  bade  the  priest 
welcome.  He  was  not  many  moments  in  making  the 
discovery  that  something  was  wrong  with  Bernardo.  He 
noted  the  paleness  of  his  cheek  and  the  fire  that  sparkled 
in  his  eye. 

"  I  am  glad,"  said  Uglino,  offering  him  a  chair,  "  to 
see  you,  father;  but  not  with  that  frown  upon  your 
brow.  Has  anything  happened  to  disturb  you,  father  ?" 

"  Uglino,  why  ask  that  question  ?  Let  your  own 
guilty  conscience  answer.  I  am  not  here  to  be  trifled 
with,  but  have  come  to  demand  satisfaction  for  a  wrong 
as  black  as  midnight.  As  a  devout  Catholic  I  confided 
in  you,  but  you  have  deceived  me  and  betrayed  me  to 
my  worst  enemy.  Uglino,  you  false-hearted  hypocrite, 
tell  me,  did  you  not  know  that  Eugene  Saunders  was  in 
Venice  ere  we  spread  our  sails  to  be  wafted  hither  ?  and 
have  you  not  seen  and  conversed  with  the  heretic  since 
our  arrival  ?  Ha  !  I  see  it  in  your  shrinking  form  and 
averted  eye !  Come,  monster,  speak  the  truth,  and  do 
not  add  falsehood  to  your  crime." 

When  Bernardo  finished  he  had  arisen  from  his  chair, 
and  his  form  towered  aloft,  trembling  in  every  limb. 

"Bernardo,"  said  Uglino,  "if  I  am  false-hearted, 
you  have  made  me  so ;  if  I  have  acted  wrong,  it  is 
because  I  followed  in  the  footsteps  of  my  holy  con- 
fessor ;  if  I  am  that  mean  and  abject  creature  that 


204  LILY     WHITE. 

your  words  imply,  it  is  because  I  have  listened  to  the 
teachings  of  a  hypocrite,  and  have  yielded  to  the  sway 
of  a  polluted  villain.  Bernardo,  hear  me ;  I  do  not 
regard  you  as  my  priest,  but  as  my  inferior  in  everything 
that  is  honest  and  correct.  Do  you  think  you  can  in- 
timidate me  by  harsh  words  and  idle  vauntings  ?  I  have 
faced  danger  in  too  many  forms,  and  have  heard  too 
many  empty  threats,  to  fear  either  the  one  or  the  other. 
I  know  you,  Bernardo,  better  than  you  know  yourself. 
Henceforth  look  upon  me  as  your  worst  foe,  and  remem- 
ber, that  when  old  Uglino  strikes  the  blow  it  is  more 
deadly  than  the  serpent's  fang.  Ah !  who  cowers  now  ? 
Come,  thou  foul  fiend,  clad  in  the  robe  of  the  church, 
tell  me,  what  has  become  of  Lorenzo  Pitti?  Is  his 
death  not  upon  your  head  ?  Tell  me,  what  has  become 
of  that  maiden  who,  years  ago,  you  ruined  and  then 
abandoned  to  the  contempt  of  the  world  ?  Where  is  the 
child — your  child,  sir — that  poor  girl  bore  in  shame  and 
sorrow?  Let  the  rolling  waves  of  the  Arno  tell. 
Where,  wretch,  is  my  own  darling  boy,  whom  you  tore 
from  my  bosom  years  ago  to  gratify  the  malace  of  your 
black  heart,  which  has  never  known  one  touch  of  sym- 
pathy nor  felt  one  pang  of  regret  ?  Can  I  forget  these 
wrongs  and  own  you  my  priest  and  call  you  friend  ?  No 
— no — no,  Bernardo — I  have  followed  on  your  pathway 
like  an  evil  spirit ;  I  have  sanctioned  the  committing  of 
crime,  and  have  advised  you  to  do  wrong,  that  I  might 
see  you  entangled  in  a  web  from  which  there  could  be 
no  escape,  and  that  I  might,  at  last,  exult  in  your  com- 
plete and  utter  ruin.  Ha !  you  have  committed  crimes 
which,  were  they  known,  would  cause  humanity  to  raise 
a  howl  that  would  startle  the  beasts  of  the  forests  and 


LILY     WHITE.  205 

the  fowls  of  the  air.  Men  would  spurn  you  from  their 
pathway  and  heap  curses  on  your  head.  You  love  Si- 
monetta  Pitti.  That  love  will  he  turned  to  sorrow,  and 
you  shall  see  between  you  and  that  maiden  a  yawning 
chasm  over  which  you  cannot  pass.  Hark  ye,  Bernardo ! 
the  sands  in  the  hour-glass  are  almost  exhausted,  and 
the  days  of  your  life  are  numbered  !" 

"  Hush,  thou  croaking  villain,"  said  Bernardo.  "  Have 
you  forgotten  that  I  stand  here  as  a  priest  of  the  Holy 
Catholic  Church,  and  that  I  am  your  confessor?" 

"There  was  a  time,"  replied  Uglino,  "when  I  re- 
membered all  these  things ;  but  so  long  as  the  church 
contains  a  priest  so  base  will  I  refuse  obedience  to  its 
mandates." 

"  You  are  bound,  sir,"  answered  the  priest,  "  and  you 
cannot  refuse.  You  are  held  by  a  power  that  never  yet 
ceased  to  exert  its  influence.  But  come,  you  have  not 
yet  given  me  satisfaction ;  have  you  seen  Eugene  Saun- 
ders  since  you  have  been  in  Venice  ?" 

"  I  will  not  answer.  If  I  have  betrayed  you,  I  will 
not  again  commit  the  same  sin." 

"  Uglino,  forget  not  that  you  are  a  member  of  the 
Church  of  Rome,  and  remember  the  penalty  you  incur 
by  refusing  to  give  any  information  that  would  advance 
the  church,  either  temporally  or  spiritually." 

"I  have  seen  too  much  of  the  implements  of  torture, 
and  have  witnessed  too  much  human  suffering,  to  forget 
where  I  stand  and  against  whom  I  contend.  But,  Ber- 
nardo, if  death  in  its  most  hideous  and  revolting  form 
was  now  before  me,  I  would  not  gratify  you." 

"  Then,  sir,  hear  your  doom,  which  I,  Bernardo,  your 
authorized  priest  and  confessor,  pronounce  against  you : 


20G  LILY     WHITE. 

1  By  the  authority  of  God  Almighty,  the  Father,  Son, 
and  Holy  Ghost,  and  the  undefiled  Virgin  Mary,  mother 
and  patroness  of  our  Saviour,  and  of  all  celestial  vir- 
tues, angels,  archangels,  thrones,  dominions,  powers, 
cherubims,  and  seraphims ;  and  of  all  the  holy  patri- 
archs, prophets,  and  of  all  the  Apostles  and  Evangelists, 
of  the  holy  innocents,  who,  in  the  sight  of  the  Holy 
Lamb,  are  found  worthy  to  sing  the  new  song  of  the 
holy  martyrs,  and  holy  confessors,  and  of  all  the  holy 
virgins,  and  of  all  saints,  together  with  the  holy  elect  of 
God,  may  you,  Uglino,  be  damned.  I  excommunicate 
and  anathematize  you,  and  from  the  threshold  of  the 
Holy  Church  of  God  Almighty  I  sequester  you,  that 
you  may  be  tormented,  disposed,  and  be  delivered  over, 
with  Athan  and  Abiram,  and  with  those  who  say  unto 
the  Lord,  Depart  from  us,  we  desire  none  of  thy  ways ; 
as  a  fire  is  quenched  with  water,  so  let  your  light  be  put 
out  for  evermore,  unless  it  shall  repent  you  and  make 
satisfaction.  Amen.  May  the  Father  who  creates  man, 
curse  you !  May  the  Son  who  suffered  for  us,  curse 
you !  May  the  Holy  Ghost  who  suffered  for  us  in  bap- 
tism, curse  you !  May  the  holy  cross,  which  Christ  for 
our  salvation,  triumphing  over  his  enemies,  ascended, 
curse  you !  May  the  holy  and  eternal  Virgin  Mary, 
mother  of  God,  curse  you !  May  St.  Michael,  the  ad- 
vocate of  the  holy  souls,  curse  you !  May  all  the  angels, 
principalities,  and  powers,  and  all  heavenly  armies,  curse 
you !  May  the  praiseworthy  multitude  of  patriarchs  and 
prophets  curse  you  !  May  St.  John  the  precursor,  and 
St.  John  the  Baptist,  and  St.  Peter,  and  St.  Paul,  and 
St.  Andrew,  and  all  other  of  Christ's  Apostles  together, 
curse  you!  And  may  the  rest  of  our  disciples,  and 


LILY     WHITE.  207 

evangelists,  who  by  their  preaching  converted  the  uni- 
verse, and  the  holy  and  wonderful  company  of  martyrs 
and  confessors,  who  by  their  holy  works  are  found  pleas- 
ing to  God  Almighty,  curse  you !  May  the  holy  choir 
of  the  holy  virgins,  who  for  the  honor  of  Christ  have 
despised  the  things  of  this  world,  damn  you !  May  all 
the  saints,  from  the  beginning  of  the  world  to  everlast- 
ing ages  who  are  found  to  be  beloved  of  God,  damn 
you !  May  you  be  damned  wherever  you  be,  whether 
in  the  house,  or  in  the  stable,  the  garden,  or  the  field, 
or  the  highways;  or  in  the  woods,  or  in  the  water, 
or  in  the  church ;  may  you  be  damned  in  living  and 
in  dying !  May  you  be  cursed  in  eating  or  in  drink- 
ing, in  being  hungry,  in  being  thirsty,  in  sleeping, 
in  slumbering  and  in  sitting,  in  living,  in  working,  in 
resting,  and  blood-letting !  May  you  be  cursed  in  all 
the  faculties  of  your  body !  May  you  be  cursed  inwardly 
and  outwardly !  May  you  be  cursed  in  your  brains  and 
in  your  temples,  in  your  eyebrows,  in  your  cheeks,  in 
your  jaw-bones,  in  your  nostrils,  in  your  teeth  and 
grinders,  in  your  lips,  in  your  throat,  in  your  shoulders, 
and  in  your  fingers !  May  you  be  damned  in  your  mouth, 
in  your  breast,  in  your  heart,  and  in  your  stomach! 
May  you  be  cursed  in  your  veins,  in  your  groins,  in 
your  thighs,  and  in  your  hips,  and  your  knees,  your 
legs,  your  feet,  and  toe-nails !  May  you  be  cursed  in 
all  the  joints  and  articulation  of  your  members ;  from 
the  crown  of  your  head  to  the  sole  of  your  feet  may 
there  be  no  soundness !  May  all  who  speak  to  you  be 
damned  eternally  in  the  hottest  fires  of  a  never-ending 
hell !  May  the  Son  of  the  living  God,  with  all  the  glory 
of  his  majesty,  curse  you !  And  may  heaven,  with  all 


208  .  LILY     WHITE. 

the  power  therein,  rise  up  against  and  damn  you,  unless 
you  repent  and  make  satisfaction !  Amen.  So  be  it. 
Be  it  so.  Amen.'  "* 

While  Bernardo  was  uttering  this  awful  and  fearful 
curse,  Uglino  never  once  averted  his  piercing  eyes  from 
the  countenance  of  the  priest  nor  altered  the  position  of 
his  body.  He  stood  firm  as  a  rock,  nor  did  he  exhibit 
one  sign  of  regret. 

"Ha!  ha!  you  have  now  done  your  worst,"  said 
Uglino.  "  What  think  you  I  care  for  your  curses,  fall- 
ing as  they  do  from  the  lips  of  a  sinful  wretch  who  has 
wronged  every  sacred  principle  of  the  Holy  Catholic 
Church ;  who  has  never  cas't  one  ray  of  hope  over  the 
heart  of  a  dying  man ;  who  has  sowed  ruin  and  death, 
instead  of  gladness  and  sunshine  ;  who  has  violated  the 
chastity  of  maidens,  without  one  feeling  of  remorse ; 
and  who  has  wrung  bitter  tears  from  widows  and 
orphans.  Go  to,  thou  basest  of  God's  living  crea- 
tures ;  go  prate  your  vile  curses  to  those  who  know  you 
not,  and,  in  their  ignorance,  call  you  holy  father.  Be- 
ware, Bernardo,  that  the  anathema  you  have  invoked 
upon  me  falls  not  upon  your  own  vile  head.  I  could 
whisper  one  little  sentence  into  "your  ear  that  would 
cause  you  to  fall  prostrate  upon  the  earth  in  agony  and 
shame !" 

"You  lie,  monster  in  human  shape,"  said  Bernardo; 
and  suddenly  leaping  upon  the  dwarf,  sent  him  reeling 

*  This  Bull  of  excommunication  was  issued  some  years  ago,  against 
a  priest  at  Philadelphia,  and  was  produced  by  the  Eev.  Alexander 
Campbell,  during  the  celebrated  debate  between  him  and  Bishop 
Purcell,  of  Cincinnati.  It  is  here  quoted  almost  verbatim,  upon  the 
authority  of  Mr.  Campbell. 


LILY     WHITE.  209 

to  the  floor.  The  contest  was  fierce  and  vigorous.  Ber- 
nardo had  the  advantage  in  activity,  but  Uglino  was  a 
giant  in  strength.  Neither  spoke  a  word.  Now  Uglino 
has  the  advantage,  and  victory  seems  at  hand ;  now  the 
tide  of  battle  changes,  and  we  tremble  for  the  life  of 
Uglino.  See !  see !  Bernardo's  dagger  gleams  in  the 
light  and  descends  with  lightning  speed  upon  the  breast 
of  Uglino.  Behold  how  the  dwarf  writhes  beneath  the 
stroke  !  Look  !  Uglino  has  him  by  the  arm,  has  thrown 
him  from  his  position,  and  has  his  long  bony  fingers 
about  his  throat !  Bernardo's  eyes  roll  back,  and  his 
face  is  black  from  strangulation. 

"Mercy!  mercy!  mercy!"  he  faintly  gasped,  as 
Uglino  tightened  his  grasp. 

"  Ha !  villain  !  you  cry  for  mercy  who  have  never  yet 
shown  it  to  a  human  being.  Cry  to  the  saints  and 
angels  in  whose  names  you  curse,  but  call  not  upon 
Uglino." 

A  strong  arm  was  laid  upon  the  dwarf,  and  he  was 
torn  from  the  struggling  form  of  the  almost  strangled 
priest,  and,  confronting  the  person  who  had  interfered, 
was  astonished  to  behold  Eugene  Saunders  standing 
before  him. 

"Why,  Uglino,  what  means  all  this?"  Eugene  asked. 

Before  Uglino  could  answer,. Bernardo,  having  reco- 
vered, rushed  again  upon  his  adversary. 

"Hold,  sir!"  said  Eugene,  in  a  commanding  voice, 
and  stepped  between  the  combatants.  "  What !  do  I 
behold  Bernardo  the  priest?  Have  patience,  sir,  and 
remember  the  Arno,  where  last  we  met." 

Bernardo,  when  he  beheld  Eugene  Saunders,  whom  he 
18 


210  LILY     WHITE. 

regarded  with  so  much  fear  and  hatred,  quailed  before 
his  manly  form  and  commanding  voice. 

"Bernardo,"  continued  Eugene,  "I  am  ignorant  of 
the  cause  of  this  affray,  hence  I  have  nothing  to  say 
further  than  that  no  blood  shall  be  shed  in  my  presence. 
But,  sir,  I  am  aware  that  you  came  hither  to  wreak  your 
vengeance  on  me.  Now,  sir,  hear  me  once  for  all ;  you 
I  do  not  fear ;  but  if  you  ever  again  cross  my  pathway  I 
will  take  your  life.  Leave  this  house,  sir,  and  never 
let  me  see  your  form  again.  Not  a  word,  sir ;  I  will  hear 
nothing  from  you.  One  insolent  or  angry  expression 
and  your  Italian  dagger  will  no  more  be  of  service  to 
you,  for  I  will  send  a  ball  hissing  through  your  heart. 
I  am  no  vain  boaster ;  hence,  quit  this  room,  for  your 
very  presence  is  loathsome." 

Bernardo  cast  a  scowl  of  hatred  upon  Eugene  and 
Uglino,  and,  muttering  curses  upon  them  both,  left  the 


LILY     WHITE.  211 


CHAPTER  XVIII. 

His  breast  with  wounds  unnumbered  riven, 
His  back  to  earth,  his  face  to  heaven, 
Fallen  Hassan  lies — his  unclosed  eye 
Yet  lowering  on  his  enemy, 
As  if  the  hour  that  sealed  his  fate, 
Surviving,  left  his  quenchkss  hate. 

BYRON'S  GIAOUR. 

She  shook 

The  holy  water  from  her  heavenly  eyes, 
And  then  retired,  to  deal  with  grief  alone. 

SHAKSPEARE. 

MISERY  and  death  lie  about  us  on  every  hand.  While 
some  are  mingling  in  gay  and  festive  scenes,  others  are 
pining  away  in  gloom  and  sorrow.  Man,  restless  man, 
carries  that  within  his  own  bosom  which  drives  him  on- 
ward, whether  it  be  amid  joy  or  sorrow,  pleasure  or 
sadness.  Before  him  is  the  great,  busy,  and  dazzling 
arena  of  life  upon  which  he  must  act  his  part  whether 
for  weal  or  woe.  If  he  shrink  from  his  duties,  however 
stern  they  may  be,  he  should  be  branded  with  the  name 
of  coward,  and  spurned  from  the  society  of  the  true  and 
noble-hearted.  In  this  fierce  and  fiery  struggle  of  life 
how  many  sink  by  the  wayside,  a  prey  to  every  calamity 
and  to  those  devouring  influences  that  mar  the  beauty 
and  perfection  of  human  nature !  Life  is  truly  a  che- 
quered scene.  The  road  to  wealth  and  honor  is  rugged 


212  LILY     WHITE. 

and  almost  inaccessible,  studded  with  brambles  and 
thorns,  and  surrounded  by  every  danger  that  can  arise, 
every  responsibility  that  can  impede,  every  fear  that 
can  check,  and  every  difficulty  that  can  alarm.  He 
who  would  reach  the  summit,  must  be  possessed  of 
iron  nerves  and  undaunted  courage. 

On  every  side  lie  concealed  envy,  malice,  hatred,  and 
selfishness,  against  which  he  must  combat  who  would 
gain  success.  The  summit  is  in  full  view,  but  to  reach 
its  beauteous  and  glittering  height,  how  much  labor, 
how  much  strife,  and  how  much  bravery  is  essential ! 

On  the  contrary,  the  road  to  shame  and  degradation 
is  straight  and  level,  carpeted  with  the  brightest  and 
sweetest  flowers,  and  adorned  with  every  beauty  that 
can  entice,  with  every  comfort  that  can  allure,  with 
every  scene  that  can  charm,  and  with  every  delight 
that  can  fascinate.  Gay  and  beautiful  women  lend  their 
charms  to  entice  him  on ;  lovely  flowers  hang  in  glitter- 
ing, gorgeous  festoons  over  his  pathway;  voluptuous 
music  swells  upon  the  ear ;  wine  sparkles  in  curiously 
wrought  cups,  and  rejoicings  and  festivity  herald  him 
on  his  way  to  certain  destruction.  The  end  is  never 
seen  until  reached.  Then,  alas  !  the  poor  victim  strug- 
gles in  vain  against  those  passions  which  luxury  has 
pampered,  which  indulgence  has  fostered,  and  which 
habit  has  matured.  Too  late  he  discovers  his  error, 
and  with  fruitless  efforts  attempts  to  sever  the  shackles 
which  pleasures  have  woven  and  which  vice  has  cast 
about  him. 

Instead  of  a  substance,  he  finds  that  he  has  been  pur- 
suing a  shadow ;  instead  of  joy,  he  has  tasted  the  cup 
of  sorrow;  and  instead  of  that  beauty  and  perfection 


LILY     WHITE.  213 

which  he  expected  to  behold,  naught  meets  his  view  but 
deceit,  bigotry,  and  deformity.     He  finds  that 


pleasures  are  like  poppies  spread ; 


You  seize  the  flower,  its  bloom  is  shed ; 
Or  like  the  snow-falls  in  the  river, 
A  moment  white — then  melts  forever ; 
Or  like  the  borealis  race, 
That  flit  ere  you  can  point  the  place ; 
Or  like  the  rainbow's  lovely  form 
Evanishing  amid  the  storm." 

Thus  it  was  with  Col.  James  Lanier.  By  pursuing 
the  proper  course  there  was  no  station  in  life  to  which 
he  might  not  have  aspired ;  but  in  youth  and  early 
manhood  he  had  been  led  away  by  the  allurements  of 
vice,  and  had  gone  on  and  on  from  one  stage  to  another, 
until  he  was  so  deeply  involved  and  so  completely 
bound,  that  we  behold  him  planning  against  the  happi- 
ness of  his  ward,  and  leaguing  with  Catholicism  to  eifect 
his  wicked  designs.  Col.  Lanier  offered  what  consola- 
tion there  was  in  his  power  to  his  sorrowing  and  afflicted 
daughter.  He  made  the  impression  upon  her  that  Lily's 
mind  was  touched  with  insanity ;  that,  laboring  under  an 
imaginary  wrong,  she  had  perhaps  ended  her  life.  It 
was  not  difficult  to  make  this  impression  upon  Fanny, 
because  she  herself  had  almost  come  to  the  conclusion 
that  Lily's  mind  was  not  right  ere  she  fled. 

Every  day  Col.  Lanier  met  Father  Pietro  and  made 
inquiries  concerning  his  success  in  bending  the  stubborn 
disposition  of  his  ward,  and  every  day  had  been  disap- 
pointed. He  grew  impatient ;  he  became  as  restless  as 
a  caged  beast;  he  flew  to  the  gaming-table  to  banish 
time,  and  to  drown  the  pleadings  of  conscience  that  re- 
buked him  for  his  wickedness  and  hard-heartedness ;  he 
18* 


214  LILY     WHITE. 

quaffed  the  sparkling  wine'  until  his  eye  grew  unsteady 
and  his  form  reeled  from  intoxication  ;  a  burning  flame 
seemed  to  be  consuming  his  very  soul ;  for  him  there 
was  no  rest ;  to  consummate  his  dearest  wish  was  ever 
uppermost  in  his  thoughts.  To  effect  this,  now  that  he 
had  brooded  over  it  for  so  many  days  and  months,  and 
had  taken  the  initiatory  steps,  he  was  willing  to  march 
over  every  opposition  and  to  overcome  every  difficulty. 

"  What  news  do  you  bring  this  evening,  Father 
Pietro?"  said  Col.  Lanier,  as  the  former  threw  himself 
into  an  adjacent  chair.  "  Does  she  manifest  any  signs 
of  repentance  ?  Will  she  listen  to  your  counsels,  and 
think  you  she  will  ever  consent  to  become  my  wife  ?" 

"I  have  had  to  deal  with  many  individuals  during 
my  life,"  said  Pietro,  with  a  pious  look;  "but  I  have 
never  yet  met  with  one  so  hard  to  manage.  To  induce 
her  to  change  her  mind  I  have  exhausted  every  mild 
means  that  I  possess,  but  she  turns  a  deaf  ear  to  every 
argument,  and  with  scorn  spurns  me  from  her  presence. 
She  even  refuses  me  admittance  to  her  room,  and  fre- 
quently for  a  whole  day  will  not  taste  food  of  any  kind. 
At  times  she  is  calm  and  contented ;  at  others  she  sobs 
and  weeps  as  if  her  heart  would  break.  If  she  ever 
becomes  your  wife  you  will  have  to  break  her  stubborn 
disposition.  It  can  be  done ;  I  can  do  it  if  you  will 
give  me  the  authority.  Within  our  convent  are  the 
means ;  give  me  but  the  word,  and  you  shall  find  her 
as  loving  as  a  lamb  and  as  gentle  as  the  dove.  So  far 
we  have  been  playing  a  child's  game ;  if  you  wish  to 
triumph,  yield  the  girl  to  my  management,  and  you 
shall  soon  clasp  her  to  your  bosom  and  fondly  call  her 
wife." 


LILY     WHITE.  215 

"  Think'  you,  Father  Pietro,  she  can  never  be  induced 
to  consent  without  resorting  to  harsh  means?" 

"Never,  Col.  Lanier." 

"  By  heaven !  I  will  conquer.  I  give  you  full  au- 
thority to  use  what  means  you  deem  proper  to  bring 
this  ward  of  mine  to  terms.  I  did  hope  it  could  be 
accomplished  without  harshness  or  violence;  but  if  it 
cannot,  then  she  must  bear  the  consequences.  Mind, 
however,  Pietro,  that  you  do  not  injure  the  girl.  What- 
ever you  do,  let  it  be  done  with  mildness  and  calmness." 

"  I  will  look  well  to  that,  Col.  Lanier." 

"  The  moment  she  consents  to  become  my  wife,  fly  to 
me  with  the  joyous  tidings.  I  will  hold  myself  in  readi- 
ness to  hasten  to  her  side  before  she  changes  her  pur- 
pose. When  once  she  is  mine,  then  I  will  care  for 
nothing  else  in  this  wide  world.  Pietro,  if  you  are  suc- 
cessful in  this  matter,  great  shall  be  your  reward." 

This  conversation  will  serve  to  show 'the  situation  of 
Lily  White,  and  the  condition  of  affairs  at  this  juncture. 
What  if  Fanny  knew  the  reality,  that  her  sister  was 
imprisoned  by  her  father's  will ;  that  she  was  suffering 
in  a  convent ;  that  a  cunning  and  cold-hearted  priest 
had  been  vested  with  authority  to  force  her  to  yield  her 
hand  without  her  heart,  and  that  she  herself  had  been 
imposed  upon  and  deceived  by  a  parent  in  whom  she 
trusted  and  confided  !  Under  these  circumstances,  what 
would  be  her  feelings  ?  Since  the  morning  on  which 
the  canal  had  been  searched,  Fanny  mourned  her  sister 
as  dead.  When  the  sad  intelligence  was  announced  to 
her  that  the  body  could  not  be  found,  she  wrung  her 
hands  and  wept  aloud. 

Fanny  never  knew  before  how  fondly  she  loved  her 


216  LILY    WHITE. 

sister.  She  had  often  and  oft  answered  some  mild  re- 
proof or  gentle  advice  with  peevishness,  sometimes  with 
anger.  Now  that  Lily  was  gone,  all  this  she  distinctly 
remembered,  and,  when  she  recalled  some  angry  look 
or  ill-natured  reply,  tears  flowed  from  her  eyes  and  sor- 
row filled  her  heart. 

Often  and  oft  would  she  walk  forth  upon  the  balcony 
and  linger  where  she  and  Lily  held  their  last  confidential 
conversation,  and  tried  to  cherish  afresh  every  word  of 
her  lost  Lily,  and  to  recall  every  look  and  gesture.  On 
the  soft  and  balmy  evenings  she  went  forth  upon  the 
canals.  But  how  different  now  the  scene !  What  be- 
fore seemed  to  her  youthful  and  ardent  mind  a  scene  of 
splendor  and  magnificence,  had  now  lost  all  charms  to 
her.  Her  eye  rested  on  splendid  marble  palaces,  glit- 
tering domes,  and  ancient  cathedrals ;  but  these  neither 
awaked  her  admiration  nor  called  forth  her  enthusiastic 
praise.  She  was  living  over  again  those  by-gone  days, 
when  she  and  Lily  were  innocent  little  girls,  playing 
with  their  dolls,"  or  romping  joyfully  in  the  warm  sun- 
shine, or  nestling  fondly  by  a  loving  mother's  knee, 
listening  to  some  beautiful  story  suited  to  their  age,  or 
lisping  their  evening  prayers.  Memory  was  busy  with 
the  scenes  of  the  "  long  ago."  There  was  the  long,  shady 
avenue,  with  the  grand  old  forest-trees  interlocked 
above,  through  which  she  and  Lily  loved  to  wander  on 
the  beautiful  autumnal  evenings  !  There,  too,  was  the 
sunny  slope  where  they  sat  for  hours  reading  some 
charming  story  of  faery  or  genii;  and  there  was  the 
quiet  dell,  fragrant  with  wild-flowers,  where  they  had 
often  lingered,  inhaling  the  rich  aroma  and  listening  to 
the  sweet  songs  of  birds.  There  was  the  grave  of  her 


LILY     WHITE.  217 

sainted  mother,  which  &he  and  Lily  had  bedewed  with 
their  warmest  tears. 

Now  that  she  thought  that  Lily  was  no  more,  a  thou- 
sand things  that  she  had  long  forgotten  came  thronging 
to  her  mind,  some  to  melt  her  soul  to  tears,  and  others 
to  shed  over  her  troubled  heart  a  consolation  that 
nothing  else  could  produce.  She  loved  to  sit  alone  in 
her  room,  where  she  could,  unseen,  indulge  her  thoughts 
and  give  vent  to  her  sorrows.  Here  many  things  re- 
minded her  of  Lily,  for  every  article  of  furniture  was 
kept  just  in  the  order  her  sister  had  left  it. 

" Oh !"  she  would  say,  "if  I  were  only  satisfied  as 
to  the  fate  of  my  darling  sister,  I  would  be  better  con- 
tented. If  I  could  only  have  pillowed  her  head  upon 
my  bosom,  smoothed  back  her  silken  tresses,  and  caught 
the  last  feeble  accents  that  fell  from  her  trembling  lips, 
what  a  load  of  sorrow  would  have  been  lifted  from  my 
aching  heart !  But  to  think  that  perhaps  she  died 
struggling  with  the  angry  waves,  and  calling  in  vain 
upon  her  sister's  name !  This  is  harrowing  to  my  soul. 
Oh !  •  maybe  Lily  is  not  dead ;  maybe  she  still  lives, 
and  that  once  again  I  may  fold  her  to  this  bosom,  cover 
her  cheeks  with  warm  and  fervent  kisses,  and  bathe  her 
brow  with  tears  of  love,  joy,  and  gratitude  !" 

Thus  did  Fanny  Lanier  often  soliloquize.  In  the 
solemn  watches  of  the  midnight  hour  she  prayed  her 
Heavenly  Father  to  restore  her  sister  if  she  still  lived. 
Fanny  now  saw  but  little  of  her  father,  owing  to  her 
desire  to  be  alone,  and  to  the  fact  that  Col.  Lanier  was 
a  constant  visitor  at  the  gambling  saloon. 

******** 

On  the  evening  after  Col.  Lanier  and  Father  Pietro 


218  LILY     WHITE. 

held  the  conversation  narrated  in  this  chapter,  a  deed 
was  enacted  that  paled  many  cheeks  and  caused  a  shud- 
der of  horror  to  run  over  many  who  had  long  been  used 
to  look  upon  crime  in  its  most  revolting  and  hideous 
forms.  Col.  Lanier  and  Captain  Harris  had  been  for 
several  hours  locked  within  a  room.  Suddenly  a  wild 
cry  of  horror  rang  throughout  the  hotel,  and  was  fol- 
lowed by  groans  and  a  heavy  weight  falling  upon  the 
floor.  A  general  rush  was  made  for  the  room  whence 
the  noise  came.  On  reaching  the  door,  those  in  advance 
drew  back  in  fear,  and  stood  aghast  with  horror.  Before 
them  was  a  spectacle  that  caused  the  blood  to  curdle  in 
the  veins.  Upon  the  floor,  weltering  in  his  warm  and 
flowing  blood,  lay  Col.  Lanier,  dead;  his  throat  cut 
from  ear  to  ear.  He  who  had  committed  the  deed  was 
nowhere  to  be  seen.  Doubtless  when  he  saw  that  the 
blow  was  fatal,  he  fled  like  a  guilty  wretch.  Upon  the 
table  were  several  empty  bottles  and  a  pack  of  cards, 
scattered  hither  and  thither  as  if  thrown  down  in  haste 
and  anger.  Great  confusion  and  excitement  prevailed. 
In  vain  was  the  hotel  searched  for  the  cruel  murderer. 
With  the  stain  of  blood  upon  his  hands,  and  with  a  guilty 
conscience  to  drive  him  on,  Captain  Harris  had  fled. 

When  the  mournful  intelligence  was  announced  to 
Fanny,  she  was  almost  frantic  with  grief.  She  rushed 
to  the  apartment  in  which  her  murdered  father  lay,  fell 
weeping  upon  his  bosom,  and  refused  to  be  removed. 
She  had  lost  her  sister  Lily,  and  now  her  only  protec- 
tor, her  father,  was  no  more.  How  true  is  the  adage 
that  misfortunes  never  come  alone !  They  follow  each 
other  like  the  billows  of  the  restless  ocean !  At  length 
it  became  necessary  to  inform  Fanny  that  it  was  proper 


LILY     WHITE.  219 

for  her  to  retire,  in  order  that  she  might  the  better 
soften  her  mournings  and  conquer  her  grief.  Reluct- 
antly she  sought  her  own  chamber. 

"  What  will  become  of  me — what  will  become  of  me, 
now  that  Lily  is  away  and  my  poor  father  has  been 
murdered?  Oh!  who  in  this  wide  world  will  care  for 
me,  a  poor  orphan  girl  in  a  strange  land,  without  a  sin- 
gle friend  upon  whom  I  can  rely  and  in  whom  I  can 
confide,"  said  Fanny,  when  she  reached  her  room. 

"  I  will  be  that  friend ;  have  no  fears  for  your  safety," 
said  one,  who  had,  unobserved,  followed  Fanny  from  the 
bedside  of  her  father  ;  "  we  were  both  born  beneath  the 
same  blue  skies  and  beneath  the  star-spangled  banner, 
and  I  should  view  myself  as  an  unfeeling  wretch,  did  I 
refuse  to  protect  and  comfort  a  maiden  of  my  own  native 
land." 

"Oh!  kind  sir,"  said  Fanny,  her  heart  melting  to 
overflowing  by  the  generous  and  enthusiastic  words 
which  greeted  her  ear  from  a  stranger's  lips,  "receive 
a  thousand  thanks  for  your  nobleness  and  generosity. 
Are  you  not  the  same  good  gentleman  who  rescued  my 
sister  from  the  waves?" 

"  I  am.  Come,  permit  a  stranger  to  offer  you  conso- 
lation. Calm  your  troubled  feelings ;  think  of  what  I 
have  said,  and  remember  you  have  a  friend  who  will 
never  forsake  you;  and  now  good-night." 


220  LILY     WHITE. 


CHAPTER  XIX. 

Look,  from  the  turbid  south 
What  floods  of  flame  in  rich  diffusion  burst, 
Frequent  and  furious ;  darting  through  the  dark 
And  broken  ridges  of  a  thousand  clouds, 
Piled  hill  on  hill ;  and  hark !  the  thunder,  roused, 
Groans  in  long  roaring  through  the  distant  gloom. 

MALLET'S  MUSTAPHA. 

IT  is  impossible  to  contemplate  the  outrageous  cruel- 
ties of  Roman  Catholicism  without  feeling  a  shudder  of 
horror  creeping  over  us.  From  the  earliest  period  of 
its  origin  it  has  been  characterized  by  every  kind  of 
barbarity.  Lust,  avarice,  and  cruelty,  are  its  distin- 
guishing characteristics,  and  have  been  since  the  organ- 
ization of  the  church. 

These  features  were  prominent  during  the  supremacy 
of  Innocent  III.,  during  the  terrible  reign  of  the  Inqui- 
sitors of  Spain  and  Portugal,  and  will  ever  remain  con- 
comitant parts  of  Catholicism  so  long  as  the  Pope  holds 
the  power  and  there  exists  an  infallible  priesthood  to 
carry  out  his  royal  edicts. 

When  Father  Pietro  left  Col.  Lanier  a  smile  of  tri- 
umph lit  his  pious  countenance.  He  now  had  the  power 
in  his  own  hands.  Without  fear  he  could  now  indulge 
those  fierce  passions  which  never  fail  to  conquer  or  to 
kill.  He  could  now  bring  into  subjection  a  young  female 
who  scorned  the  dogmas  of  Catholicism  and  refused  to 
comply  with  a  demand  that  would  compromise  her  peace 
and  destroy  her  happiness. 


L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E.  221 

Pietro  and  Mother  Augustine  were  not  pleased  with 
the  bold  and  independent  spirit  with  which  Lily  White 
repulsed  every  attempt  to  approach  her  upon  the  doc- 
trines of  the  Roman  Church,  hence  they  had  their  own 
private  reasons  for  wishing  to  claim  an  authority  over 
her  person.  Mother  Augustine,  more  than  once,  had 
called  her  a  hard-hearted  and  unfeeling  heretic,  and  had 
given  the  daughters  of  the  convent  to  understand  that 
whoever  was  found  holding  communication  with  Lily 
should  be  severely  punished  for  the  crime.  Spies  were 
ordered  to  watch  all  her  movements,  that  she  might  not 
make  her  escape  nor  hold  communication  with  any  per- 
son from  without. 

Father  Pietro  informed  Col.  Lanier  that  Lily  fre- 
quently refused  to  taste  food  and  water.  This  was  not 
the  truth.  He  had  manufactured  that  story  for  his  own 
base  and  false  designs.  For,  by  the  order  of  Pietro, 
Mother  Augustine  withheld  those  things  that  were  abso- 
lutely necessary  for  the  preservation  of  health  and  for 
the  continuation  of  life.  They  sought  to  impair  her 
health,  that  they  might  bend  her  will.  They  desired  to 
subdue  her  noble  spirit,  that  rose  above  their  corrupt 
and  sordid  power,  in  order  to  accomplish  their  hellish 
designs.  Father  Pietro  cared  not  whether  or  no  Lily 
became  the  wife  of  Col.  Lanier,  but  he  did  feel  in- 
terested to  make  her  bow  the  knee  to  the  Virgin  Mary, 
and  to  acknowledge  him  as  her  confessor. 

In  this,  however,  he  was  mistaken.  What  he  regarded 
as  stubbornness  in  Lily  was  only  a  firm  and  unshaken 
reliance  on  the  promises  of  our  Saviour,  and  a  faith  in 
the  doctrines  of  the  Bible  that  no  suffering,  however 
severe,  could  change,  and  no  cruelty,  however  malig- 
19 


222  LILY      WHITE. 

nant,  could  corrupt.  Long  ago,  while  bowing  by  the 
knee  of  a  pious  but  now  sainted  mother,  had  she  re- 
ceived lessons  of  morality  and  religion  which  she  never 
could  forget.  There  she  had  learned  those  prayers 
which  many  and  many  a  time,  when  sorrows  had  pressed 
her  heart  and  fevers  had  scorched  her  brow,  had  ban- 
ished those  troubles,  and  had  converted  the  bed  of  sick- 
ness into  a  heaven  of  perfect  bliss.  By  experience  she 
knew  the  power  and  influence  of  that  religion  which  she 
professed,  and  of  those  doctrines  in  which  she  confided. 
She  had  stood  by  the  death-bed  of  her  darling  and  an- 
gelic mother,  and  had  beheld  her  triumphing  gloriously 
over  death,  hell,  and  the  grave ;  she  had  witnessed  the 
smile  of  joy  and  peace  that  touched  her  countenance 
with  the  beauty  of  heaven  ;  she  had  listened  to  her  soft, 
sweet  voice,  already  tuned  for  that  harmonious  choir 
above ;  and  had  seen  her  eye,  while  losing  sight  of  the 
splendors  of  this  world,  brightening  beautifully  by  the 
opening  vision  of  that  grand  and  gorgeous  kingdom 
"not  made  with  hands,  eternal  in  the  heavens."  She 
knew  that  her  mother's  intercessor  was  not  a  priest  of 
Rome,  but  our  Lord  Jesus  Christ.  She  was  aware  that 
her  death  had  given  the  lie  to  many  of  the  cardinal  doc- 
trines of  Roman  Catholicism. 

Lily  had  not  forgotten  the  songs  that  she  had  learned 
during  her  infancy,  and  now,  in  the  loneliness  of  her 
room,  would  they  come  floating  back  to  her  mind, 
awaking  afresh  sweet  memories  of  by-gone  days,  and 
filling  her  soul  with  transports  of  joy.  Though  she  was 
soothed  and  comforted  by  the  beautiful  and  cheering 
promises  of  the  Scriptures,  yet  it  was  natural  that  one 
so  young,  so  ardent,  and  so  joyous,  should  yearn  for  the 


LILY     WHITE.  223 

social  relations  of  life,  and  desire  again  to  feel  the  sooth- 
ing zephyrs  fan  her  cheeks,  to  watch  the  golden  sun- 
sets, to  admire  the  beautiful  landscapes,  to  tread,  un- 
checked and  unwatched,  the  flowery  pathway,  and  to 
enjoy  the  murmur  of  bees  and  the  melody  of  birds. 

She  sometimes  thought  with  gratitude  upon  the  brave 
and  noble  gentleman,  who  to  save  her  life,  periled  his 
own ;  and  who  warmed  her,  on  the  Square  of  St.  Mark, 
against  the  dangers  that  threatened  her  safety  and  hap- 
piness. She  cherished  the  hope  that  he  had  not  for- 
gotten her.  Something  whispered  to  her  heart  that  he 
felt  an  interest  in  her  destiny.  Perhaps  she  read  her 
own  breast  and  found  there  an  echo  to  that  sentiment. 
Lily  did  not  despond,  nor  did  she  despair.  She  felt  that 
He  who  visited  and  saved  the  exile  on  the  rock  of  Pat- 
mos,  would  not  forsake  her ;  that  he  would  stand  by  her 
in  the  sixth  trouble,  and  would  not  leave  her  in  the 
seventh. 

She  often  bowed  humbly  before  His  throne  of  grace, 
and  invoked  aid  to  enable  her  to  withstand  the  arm  of 
persecution  and  to  bear  with  meekness  and  long-suffer- 
ing the  sorrows  that  might  come  upon  her. 

Father  Pietro  was  delayed  on  his  return  from  the 
interview  with  Col.  Lanier,  and  did  not  reach  the  con- 
vent until  an  hour  after  night-fall.  Mother  Augustine 
met  him  at  the  door  and  led  him  into  a  room,  where  he 
found  Bernardo  and  two  monks  awaiting  his  arrival. 

"What  news  do  you  bring?"  asked  Bernardo,  ere 
Pietro  had  time  to  salute  the  company  and  seat  himself. 

"We  have  the  matter  in  our  own  hands/'  answered 
Pietro,  with  a  smile  of  satisfaction  playing  on  his  face. 

"Blessed  be  all  the  saints,"  said  Mother  Augustine. 


224  LILY     WHIT  E. 

"She  is  a  proud  and  insolent  heretic,  and  should  be 
made  to  feel  our  displeasure.  I  have  warned  her  against 
her  boldness  and  rashness,  but  she  heeded  not  my  in- 
structions, neither  did  she  hearken  to  my  good  coun- 
sels." 

"Bernardo,  if  you  could  have  seen  the  manner  in 
which  I  worked  the  old  man,"  said  Pietro,  "  I  know  you 
would  have  applauded  my  skill,  ^he  old  gentleman  is 
in  love,  and  you  have  not  forgotten,  Bernardo,  that  love 
is  a  blind  god  ?  '  Oh  !'  said  he,  when  I  informed  him 
that  he  should  triumph,  '  fly  to  me  with  the  joyful  news, 
and  great  shall  be  your  reward !'  I  will  get  the  reward, 
then  let  him  find  his  wife  !" 

"I  applaud  your  wisdom,  and  sanction  your  course," 
said  Bernardo.  "We  cannot  be  too  particular  with 
American  heretics.  In  Italy  they  are  corrupting  the 
Church,  and  notwithstanding  the  flattering  accounts  that 
our  brethren  forward  to  our  beloved  and  much-honored 
Pope,  yet  if  all  the  enemies  to  our  holy  religion  are  like 
those  we  have  seen  here,  I  am  afraid  their  hopes  are  too 
sanguine,  and  that  their  brilliant  anticipations  will  never 
be  realized.  What  think  you,  only  la~st  night  I  was 
attacked  by  a  professed  Catholic,  in  whom  I  placed 
unbounded  confidence,  and  narrowly  escaped  with  my 
life !" 

"  What !  by  a  Catholic  ?"  asked  Pietro. 

"  May  he  be  damned  !"  said  all  present,  in  one  voice. 

"Who,"  said  Pietro,  "was  this  Catholic,  that  has 
outraged  the  Church  by  daring  to  raise  his  hand  against 
the  authority  of  a  priest  ?" 

"Uglino,  the  dwarf!"  answered  Bernardo. 

"  Let's  call  the  hoary  villain  before  us,  and  put  him  to 


LILY      WHITE.  225 

the  rack  until  he  confesses  his  sin  and  makes  suitable 
atonement,"  suggested  Pietro. 

"  With  him,"  continued  Bernardo,  "  was  the  man  who 
came  near  taking  my  life  in  Florence." 

"  Ha !  you  astonish  me  !  What !  is  Eugene  Saunders 
in  Venice  ?  Bernardo,  you  must  be  mistaken ;  my  spies 
have  made  no  report  to  that  effect,"  said  Pietro. 

"  Perhaps  he  has  corrupted  your  spies  as  he  did  mine. 
I  brought  Uglino  with  me  as  my  bosom  friend,  and  as 
one  upon  whom  I  might  rely  as  an  experienced  detector ; 
but  I  find  that  ere  I  left  Florence  this  traitor  knew  that 
Eugene  Saunders  was  in  Venice,  and  held  a  conversation 
with  him  on  the  Square  of  St.  Mark  the  very  evening  of 
our  arrival." 

"Well,"  said  Pietro,  "we  have  one  at  least  in  our 
power ;  and  now,  Mother  Augustine,  if  you  will  bring  us 
some  refreshments  we  will  all  consult  together,  in  order 
to  see  what  is  the  best  course  to  be  adopted  in  her 
case."  " 

******** 

We  must  now,  for  a  short  time,  leave  these  holy  indi- 
viduals, in  order  to  follow  the  history  of  others,  in  whom, 
perhaps,  the  reader  may  not  have  lost  all  interest.  While 
these  holy  fathers  were  holding  a  consultation  relative  to 
a  weak  and  defenceless  orphan  girl,  whose  only  sin  was 
in  being  a  Protestant  and  whose  only  transgression  was 
in  being  an  American,  Uglino  the  dwarf  was  seated  in 
his  room,  busily  engaged  in  assorting  a  huge  bunch  of 
keys  and  in  polishing  them  for  use ;  he  seemed  ab- 
sorbed in  his  occupation ;  he  worked  as  if  a  precious  life 
hung  upon  the  result ;  his  keen  eagle  eye  glowed  with 
anxiety  and  excitement.  At  length  his  task  was  com- 
19* 


226  LILY     WHITE. 

pleted.  He  paced  his  little  room  rapidly  several  times, 
and  finally  opened  the  door  and  peered  forth  into  the 
gathering  darkness  of  the  night. 

"  Ugh !  how  dark  it  is ;  and  the  clouds  roll  up  and 
pile  themselves  aloft  for  a  regular  storm  !  So  much  the 
better.  Old  Uglino,  like  the  cat,  sees  better  by  night 
than  by  day." 

While  the  dwarf  thus  stood  gazing  out  into  the  dark- 
ness a  brilliant  and  dazzling  flash  of  lightning  illumi- 
nated for  a  moment  many  a  towering  minaret  and  dome, 
and  then  again  all  was  gloom  and  blackness.  Away  on 
the  far-distant  horizon  was  heard  a  low,  sullen  growl,  as 
if  a  hungry  lion  had  arisen  from  his  lair  among  the 
mountains,  and,  growing  louder  and  louder,  it  strode  on 
athwart  the  sombre  sky,  until  at  length  it  burst,  in  one 
wild,  deafening  peal,  over  the  city  of  Venice,  shaking 
the  proudest  palaces  to  their  deep  foundations,  and  strik- 
ing terror  to  the  hearts  of  the  timid  and  the  super- 
stitious. 

The  light  dip  of  an  oar  fell  upon  the  acute  ear  of 
Uglino,  and,  closing  the  door,  he  returned  to  his  seat. 
In  a  short  time  three  distinct  raps  were  given  from  with- 
out, and  Uglino  answered  by  three  from  within,  when, 
without  further  ceremony,  two  men,  closely  masked,  en- 
tered, clad  in  large  coats  to  protect  them  from  the 
approaching  storm.  One  held  in  his  hand  a  dark -lan- 
tern, while  the  other  drew  from  beneath  his  garment  a 
box  containing  weapons.  ; 

"Unmask,"  said  Uglino,  "and  let's  prepare  for 
duty." 

Having  obeyed  the  command,  Eugene  Saunders  and 
Castruccio  Castracini  stood  revealed. 


LILY     WHITE.  227 

"Uglino,  is   everything   in   readiness?"  eagerly  in- 
quired Eugene. 

"Everything!"  answered  the  dwarf,  in  his  usual 
laconic  manner. 

"  Hear  how  the  wind  bellows  and  the  thunder  rolls ; 
it  is  as  dark  as  a  wolf's  mouth !"  said  Castruccio. 

"  So  much  the  better,"  said  Eugene,  "  since  we  have 
to  deal  with  the  spirits  of  darkness.  Come,  let's  prepare 
ourselves  and  hasten  to  the  scene  of  action,  before  the 
storm  bursts  in  full  force  upon  us.  Here,  Uglino,  is  a 
good  weapon,  that  never  yet  refused  fire  in  the  hand  of  a 
brave  man  like  yourself.  Castruccio,  take  this  pair  of 
Colt's  repeaters ;  if  the  occasion  demands  aim  well,  and 
the  cruel  villains  will  quail  before  their  deadly  muzzles.  I 
will  keep  these  darling  little  bull-dogs,  my  trusty  Deran- 
gers,  whose  bark  is  terrible,  and  whose  bite  is  certain 
death.  I  came  to  Italy  a  peaceable  visitor,  but  since 
my  arrival  I  have  been  followed  by  the  sleuth-hounds  of 
Catholicism,  and  have  been  compelled  to  conceal  myself 
that  I  might  escape  their  vengeance.  To-night  I  go  on 
an  errand  of  mercy ;  let  those  who  oppose  me  beware  I 
Uglino,  I  trust  in  your  prudence,  valor,  and  fidelity." 

"Give  me  your  hand,  signore,"  said  the  dwarf;  "let 
this  be  the  token  of  my  fidelity ;  future  actions  must 
test  my  courage.  Remember,  that  this  night's  work 
may  bring  our  necks  to  the  block,  but  your  nobleness 
and  generosity  have  won  the  affection  of  Uglino,  and, 
rather  than  forsake  you,  I  would  face  death  in  a  thou- 
sand forms." 

'  •  "I  thank  you,  Uglino,"  said  Eugene;  "come,  let's  be 
away." 

They  saw  that  every  thing  was  prepared,  resumed 

•   -*;."  V"'':-^'~Vv', 

'     .'•  . 


228  LILY     WHITE. 

their  masks,  and,  extinguishing  the  lamp,  sought  the 
gondola. 

The  night  was  dark  and  fearful ;  the  winds  raved,  the 
lightnings  played,  the  thunder  came  peal  on  peal,  and 
the  waters  dashed  and  hissed  against  their  slender  craft ! 
Every  vivid  flash  revealed  the  gathering  fury  of  the 
storm,  and  every  thunder-peal  told  that  the  terrible 
storm-king  was  on  his  dreadful  march ! 

"  He  comes!  dread  Brama  shakes  the  sunless  sky 
With  murmuring  wrath,  and  thunders  from  on  high ! 
Heaven's  fiery  horse,  beneath  his  warrior  form, 
Paws  the  light  clouds  and  gallops  on  the  storm ! 
Wide  waves  his  flickering  sword,  his  bright  arms  glow 
Like  summer  suns,  and  light  the  world  below ! 
Earth,  and  her  trembling  isles  in  ocean's  bed 
Are  shook ;  and  nature  rocks  beneath  his  tread !" 

Now  the  whole  heavens  seemed  on  fire ;  now  every- 
thing was  wrapped  in  the  deepest  gloom ;  now  all  was  si- 
lence— the  awful  silence  of  the  tomb ;  now  a  clamor  and 
confusion  filled  earth  and  sky,  as  if  a  myriad  of  mighty 
demons  were  waging  a  bloody  war.  The  waves  raised 
their  voice,  and  from  the  sky  were  answered  back  with  a 
moan  and  groan  that  drowned  their  puny  wails.  With 
every  electric  glow  Venice  stood  revealed,  with  her  thou- 
sand spires  and  cupolas  bathed  in  unearthly  grandeur, 
and  in  an  instant  was  invisible,  as  though  she  had  never 
been.  God  have  mercy  upon  the  mariner  who  is  this 
night  afar  on  the  raging  sea !  God  comfort  the  wife 
whose  husband  is  this  night  to  face  the  surging  billows ! 
God  cheer  the  maiden,  whose  lover  this  night  stands 
upon  the  quivering  vessel's  deck,  for  ere  the  morrow's 
sun  shall  kiss  the  swelling  waves  his  manly  form  will  be 


LILY     WHITE.  229 

cold  in  death,  the  rank  sea- weed  his  winding  sheet,  and 
the  coral-groves  his  final  resting-place!  Nevermore 
will  that  fond  wife  hear  the  tender  accents  of  her  long- 
ahsent  husband,  and  his  little  bare-footed  children,  as 
they  gather  the  pearly  sea-shells  on  the  sandy  beach, 
will  look  in  vain  for  their  father's  craft.  Nevermore 
will  that  gentle  maiden  listen  to  the  impassioned  tale  of 
love  from  her  sailor-boy's  lips,  and  she  will  watch  at 
even-tide  in  vain  for  the  flowing  pennant  and  the  snowy 
sails.  His  spirit  is  safely  moored  in  a  haven  of  eternal 
repose,  where  waves  shall  hiss  not  and  tempests  shall 
never  rise. 

Through  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  the  raging  of 
the  storm  that  gondola  glided  on,  with  muffled  oar. 
Calm  and  silent  sat  those  three  men  of  iron  nerves  and 
noble  hearts.  Castruccio  occasionally  addressed  the 
gondolier,  to  instruct  him  as  to  the  proper  course.  Eu- 
gene urged  him  to  his  utmost  skill.  They  were  not  long 
in  reaching  the  scene  of  action.  Before  them  loomed 
up  a  grand  old  structure,  hoary  with  the  lapse  of  ages ; 
but  it  could  be  seen  only  by  the  lightning's  vivid  flash. 
No  ray  of  light  gleamed  from  crevice  or  window  to  tell 
that  the  building  was  inhabited.  The  gondola  paused 
about  its  length  from  the  flag-stone. 

"Now,  Michael,"  said  Castruccio  to  his  gondolier, 
"  hold  yourself  in  readiness  for  instant  flight  when  we 
return." 

"  Si,  signore,"  Michael  said. 

"Hold  a  moment,"  said  Eugene,  in  a  whisper;  "let 
every  man  understand  his  duty.  Uglino,  instruct  us." 

"  Be  silent,  be  prudent,  be  cautious ;  do  nothing  in 
haste;  let  circumstances  develop  the  rest ;  follow  me." 


230  LILY     WHITE. 

One  bold  sweep  of  the  oar  brought  the  vessel  to  the 
steps.  Uglino,  Eugene,  and  Castruccio  leaped  out  and 
pushed  the  gondola  into  the  centre  of  the  canal. 

"Now  strike  a  match,  that  I  may  find  the  lock,"  said 
the  dwarf. 

Castruccio  made  several  attempts,  but  in  vain,  on  ac- 
count of  the  fury  of  the  storm. 

"Hold!"  whispered  Uglino;  "that  flash  served  me 
well.  Now  for  my  keys." 

One  by  one  the  keys  he  tried.  In  breathless  anxiety 
Eugene  stood.  To  him  it  seemed  that  hours  flew  by 
while  Uglino  was  testing  his  keys ;  and  when  the  dwarf, 
after  many  fruitless  trials,  informed  him  that  none  of 
them  would  answer,  he  felt  his  heart  sink  within  his 
bosom. 

"Curse  the  lock,"  said  he,  "what  is  to  be  done? 
Would  to  God  I  had  the  power,  I  would  tear  this  door 
from  its  iron  hinges." 

"Hush!  hark!  I  hear  some  one  walking  within," 
said  Uglino. 

"I  fear  that  we  have  been  discovered,"  said  Cas- 
truccio. 

"I  hope  to  God  we  have  been,"  answered  Eugene, 
"  and  that  they  will  open  this  door  to  satisfy  them- 
selves." 

"Silence!"  hissed  Uglino.  "Lend  me  a  silk  hand- 
kerchief." 

"  Here  is  mine,"  said  Castruccio. 

"  Now  it  matters  not  what  noise  I  make,  do  you  re- 
main perfectly  quiet  until  I  give  the  signal." 

Eugene  and  Castruccio  could  not  see  what  Uglino  did, 
but  in  a  few  moments  he  gave  a  quick  and  sudden  jerk, 


LILY     WHITE.  231 

and  the  lock,  yielding,  sent  forth  a  sound  like  the  report 
of  a  pistol,  and  echoed  through  the  passage  within,  and 
for  a  moment  startled  those  fierce  and  cruel  religionists 
who  were  engaged  in  their  foul  and  unchristian  persecu- 
tion. Motionless  Uglino  sat,  and  moved  not  a  muscle 
of  his  body.  With  no  other  means  than  a  silk  handker- 
chief he  had  caused  the  ponderous  bolt  to  yield,  and  he 
now  awaited  to  ascertain  whether  or  not  the  inmates  had 
been  aroused  by  the  loud  report.  Still  the  storm  raged  in 
its  might.  The  little  gondola,  protected  from  the  fury  of 
the  blasts  by  the  gigantic  structures  that  towered  aloft 
on  either  side  of  the  canal,  gracefully  gave  way  to  the 
regular  swell  of  the  waves,  and  with  every  flash  the 
gondolier  could  be  seen,  still  motionless,  like  a  marble 
statue. 

"Now,"  whispered  Uglino,  "is  the  time  for  pru- 
dence. Step  softly,  like  the  Bengal  tiger  when  creeping 
upon  its  prey ;  step  slowly,  like  the  African  lion  when 
stealing  upo.n  its  foe ;  keep  your  eye  steady,  like  the 
American  panther  when  following  the  belated  traveler; 
scent  the  air,  like  the  proud  eagle  when  he  circles  the 
plain, — and  victory  is  ours.  Ha  !  I  will  let  those  know 
who  sanction  such  perfidy  and  hypocrisy,  that  there  is 
power  elsewhere  as  well  as  in  the  hands  of  a  priest." 

"  We  are  ready  to  follow  you,"  said  Eugene. 

Softly  Uglino  opened  the  broad,  heavy  door,  like  one 
who  understood  well  his  business,  and  one  by  one  those 
daring  men  entered.  They  knew  that  the  convents 
generally  were  guarded  by  men,  who,  to  serve  the  Pope, 
would  face  any  danger,  it  mattered  not  how  terrible. 
Uglino  paused  a  moment,  and  whispered  to  Eugene  and 
Castruccio  to  await  with  patience  his  return.  For  a  con- 


232  W&  WHIT  E. 


siderable  time  the  dwarf  was  absent,  and  Eugene  began 
to  fear  for  his  safety.  No  sound  broke  the  silence  of 
the  hour,  save  the  howl  of  the  tempest  without. 

Just  as  Eugene  and  Castruccio  were  about  to  change 
their  positions,  Uglino  glided  like  a  spirit  to  their  sides. 

"Hasten,  hasten!"  said  he,  "for  the  fiends  are  al- 
ready at  their  unholy  work  !" 

"What  meanest  thou,  Uglino?"  asked  Eugene,  with 
great  eagerness  and  excitement. 

"  When  I  left  you,"  answered  the  dwarf,  "  I  crept 
through  the  darkness  until  I  reached  a  flight  of  winding 
stairs  that  led  to  a  subterranean  vault.  Here  I  saw  a 
ray  of  light  streaming  through  a  key-hole.  I  ap- 
proached, and,  looking  through,  beheld  Father  Pietro, 
clad  in  his  dalmatica,  seated  on  a  judgment-seat,  sur- 
rounded by  two  monks,  Father  Bernardo,  and  an  aged 
female.  Before  Pietro  was  a  trembling  girl,  who,  from 
her  dress  and  complexion,  was  born  beneath  other  skies, 
and  is  doubtless  the  maiden  whom  we  seek.". 

"For  God's  sake  let's  hasten,"  said  Eugene,  "ere 
the  ungodly  wretches  do  her  some  harm.  On,  Uglino, 
on  !  I  feel  my  soul  on  fire  ;  the  blood  leaps  in  an  angry 
tide  through  my  veins  ;  I  will  rescue  her,  else  leave  my 
body  as  a  token  of  defeat.  On,  Uglino,  on  !" 

"Silence,  young  man,"  whispered  Uglino;  "I  have 
crept  through  the  gloom  of  dungeons  too  often  to  be 
induced  to  act  with  unbecoming  zeal.  By  caution, 
calmness,  and  promptness,  we  may  conquer.  Our 
policy  is  to  surprise  the  priests,  and,  before  they  are 
aware,  seize  the  young  girl  and  rush  for  the  gondola  ; 
once  upon  the  canal  and  amid  the  tempest's  roar,  we  are 
safe.  Eugene  Saunders,  if  you  feel  an  interest  in  the 


LILY     WHITE.  233 

maiden,  commit  not  murder ;  shed  not  blood  unless  in 
the  defence  of  your  life." 

"  How  are  we  to  surprise  them  ?"  asked  Castruccio. 

"  Eugene  Saunders  will  rush  upon  Bernardo  and  dash 
him  to  the  floor.  You,  Castruccio,  will  silence  one  of 
the  monks,  both,  if  possible ;  and  I  will  deal  with  Father 
Pietro." 

These  preliminary  arrangements  having  been  made, 
they  silently  descended  the  winding  stairway,  and, 
guided  by  the  glimmering  ray  of  light,  approached  the 
door,  which,  upon  examination,  was  found  to  be  stand- 
ing ajar.  They  paused  a  moment  to  reconnoitre  and' 
adjust  their  weapons  for  instant  use.  Everything  being 
ready,  at  a  given  signal  from  Uglino  Eugene  Saunders 
burst  open  the  door,  and,  like  an  arrow  from  a  well- 
strung  bow,  rushed  upon  Bernardo,  crying  aloud — "the 
hour  of  vengeance  has  arrived !"  With  one  mighty 
stroke  from  his  youthful  and  powerful  arm  he  laid 
Bernardo  along  the  floor ;  and,  as  quick  as  thought, 
seized  the  maiden  in  his  arms  and  rushed  for  the  door. 

Castruccio  knocked  one  of  the  monks  down,  and  the 
other,  through  fear,  fled  into  an  adjoining  room ;  while 
Uglino  met  with  equal  success  in  overcoming  Pietro. 
At  first,  Lily  White  knew  not  whether  to  regard  Eu- 
gene as  friend  or  foe ;  and  so  much  was  she  alarmed 
and  astonished  by  the  sudden  entrance  of  those  despe- 
rate men,  that,  when  Eugene  clasped  her  to  his  bosom 
and  fled,  she  swooned  from  fear.  In  an  instant  they 
reached  the  door,  Castruccio  and  Uglino  remaining 
behind  to  guard  Eugene  and  his  precious  burden,  whom 
he  bore  with  all  care  and  tenderness. 

When  Pietro  and  Bernardo  recovered  their  feet,  they 
20 


234  LILY     WHITE. 

stood  silent  with  amazement.  Mother  Augustine  still 
lay  upon  the  floor,  where  she  had  fallen  either  in  a 
swoon  or  by  some  accident.  By  this  time  Eugene 
had  deposited  Lily  in  the  gondola ;  and  Uglino  and 
Castruccio  having  entered,  they  shoved  off,  and  were 
soon  gliding  from  the  convent  walls  of  St.  Mary.  The 
fresh  air  restored  Lily  to  consciousness,  yet  she  had 
not  sufficiently  recovered  to  comprehend  her  situation. 

"What,  in  the  name  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  has  hap- 
pened?" said  Bernardo. 

"Surely  the  devil  was  in  our  midst.  Did  you  see 
that  huge  monster  who  struck  me  with  his  great  hoofs?" 
said  Pietro. 

"I  verily  believe  they  came  through  the  roof  of  the 
house.  Pietro,  did  you  not  hear  the  maiden  say  that 
God  would  raise  up  friends  for  her  protection?"  asked 
Bernardo. 

"  Where  is  the  maiden,  Lily  White  ?"  inquired  Pietro. 

By  this  time  he  had  recovered  fully  from  the  blows 
which  Uglino  had  inflicted  upon  him  with  his  "hoofs," 
and  straightway  raised  the  alarm  by  ringing  a  bell.  In 
the  mean  time,  Mother  Augustine  had  partly  recovered, 
and,  seeing  Pietro  and  Bernardo  standing  by,  all  covered 
with  blood,  screamed  aloud,  calling  upon  them  to  spare 
her  life. 

Soon  the  whole  convent,  alarmed  by  the  ringing  of  the 
bell  and  the  screaming  of  Mother  Augustine,  was  in 
confusion  and  excitement.  Every  one  asked  questions, 
which  no  one  could  answer.  In  fact,  the  attack  had 
been  so  sudden  and  unexpected  that  the  priests  knew 
about  as  much  as  the  rest,  save  that  Lily  White  had  dis- 


LILY     WHITE.  235 

appeared  and  that  their  devoted  heads  bore  the  impres- 
sion of  some  hard  knocks. 

Through  the  darkness  of  the  night  and  the  fierce- 
ness of  the  storm  on  flew  the  gondola  containing  Lily 
White.  Eugene  drew  her  fondly  to  his  throbbing  heart, 
as  if  she  had  been  an  infant  bereft  of  its  mother.  To 
protect  her  from  the  rain,  which  now  was  falling  in  tor- 
rents, he  folded  his  overcoat  about  her.  Lily  knew,  by 
the  gentleness  with  which  she  was  treated,  that  she  was 
in  the  hands  of  kind  friends. 

So  suddenly  had  she  been  seized  and  borne  from  the 
convent  walls,  that  she  did  not  have  the  opportunity  to 
note  the  appearance  of  her  deliverers,  and,  having 
reached  the  gondola,  the  darkness  of  the  night  forbade 
all  attempts  to  ascertain  who  they  were.  Her  heart, 
however,  whispered  to  her  that  her  deliverer  was  young, 
daring,  and  generous ;  that  he  had  risked  his  own  life 
once  before  for  her  safety,  and  that  now,  God  in  his 
goodness  and  wisdom  had  sent  him  again,  as  the  means 
of  fulfilling  his  own  word  and  of  restoring  her  to  her 
sister  Fanny.  She  offered  no  resistance  to  Eugene's 
loving  embrace.  She  felt  that  his  was  a  manly  and 
noble  heart,  and  that  she  might  pillow  her  head  upon  his 
generous  bosom  without  fear  and  without  impropriety. 
Now  that  victory  had  been  achieved,  Uglino  sat  in 
silence,  and  took  no  part  in  the  good-humored  remarks 
that  occasionally  passed  between  Eugene  and  Castruccio. 

"  Kind  friends,  whither  do  you  bear  me?"  said  Lily. 

"  To  the  hospitable  mansion  of  Castruccio  Castra- 
cini,"  answered  Eugene,  delighted  to  hear  once  more 
the  musical  voice  of  Lily,  "  who  is  your  friend,  and  is 
even  now  in  this  vessel." 


236  LILY     WHITE. 

"  He  lias  the  gratitude  of  one  who  has  been  deeply 
wronged,  and  who  has  suffered  much." 

"My  lady,"  said  Castruccio,  "I  know  your  wrongs, 
and  deeply  sympathize  with  you." 

Lily  cared  not  for  the  raging  storm  and  the  drench- 
ing rain,  now  that  she  was  free.  She  felt  that  a  new 
era  was  about  to  be  opened  in  the  history  of  her  life ; 
that  the  clouds  which  had  gathered  about  her  were  to 
be  banished  by  the  sun  of  peace  and  prosperity;  that 
all  her  tears  would  be  repaid  with  smiles ;  all  her  sor- 
rows would  be  turned  to  joy ;  and  that  love  would  crown 
her  future  years  with  blissfulness. 


CHAPTER  XX. 

If  we  must  pray, 

Rear  in  the  street  bright  altars  to  the  gods ; 
Let  virgins'  hands  adorn  the  sacrifice  ; 
.  And  not  a  gray-beard  forging  priest  come  here, 

To  pry  into  the  bowels  of  their  victim, 
And  with  their  dotage  mad  the  gaping  world. 

LEE'S  (Empus. 

Dark  and  unearthly  is  the  scowl 
That  glares  beneath  his  dusky  cowl ; 
The  flash  of  that  dilating  eye 
Reveals  too  much  of  times  gone  by. 

BYRON. 

IT  is  a  solemn  thing  to  witness  the  downfall  of  a 
splendid  republic.  The  patriot  and  scholar,  beholding 
the  ignorance  and  degradation  that  now  reign  in  Italy, 
once  the  garden-spot  of  learning  and  genius,  feel  their 


LILY     WHITE.  237 

hearts  grow  sad,  and  are  ready  to  weep  over  the  fate  of 
a  fallen  empire  that  has  done  so  much  for  the  march  of 
intellect  and  the  general  advancement  of  knowledge. 
Rome  was  once  the  proud  and  majestic  metropolis  of  a 
magnificent  empire  !  Through  its  splendid  streets  once 
strolled  such  men  as  Horace  and  the  Caesars.  From 
its  gigantic  gateways  issued  those  brave  armies  that 
went  forth  to  bear  aloft  the  Roman  standard  amid  the 
tide  of  battle  and  the  flush  of  victory.  The  forum  re- 
sounded with  the  burning  eloquence  of  such  men  as 
Cicero ;  every  grove  was  sacred ;  and  the  world  still 
acknowledges  the  beauty  and. elegance  of  her  poets. 
The  ashes  of  Pompey  the  Great  still  rest  beneath  its 
"gray  stone  tower,"  but  no  longer  does  the  spirit  that 
animated  him  to  noble  deeds  of  glory  dwell  about  the 
scene.  The  statue  of  Jupiter,  upon  which  the  ancient 
Roman  loved  to  look  with  pride  and  admiration,  has  been 
converted  by  Papal  power  into  the  image  of  St.  Peter, 
before  which  now  crouch  in  superstitious  awe  an  igno- 
rant and  down-trodden  peasantry. 

What  has  produced  this  mighty  change  is  a  question 
well  worthy  the  attention  of  the  patriot,  the  philanthro- 
pist, and  the  Christian.  Why  is  it  that  Italy,  possessing 
the  loveliest  climate  on  the  globe,  rejoicing  in 

"An  ampler  ether, — a  diviner  air," 

and  pointing,  as  she  does,  to  the  monuments  of  her  past 
glory  and  renown,  remains  plunged  in  ignorance  and 
superstition,  in  misery  and  despair,  while  the  whole 
world  is  making  such  rapid  strides  in  the  arts  and 
sciences,  and  in  everything  that  pertains  to  the  ad- 
vancement of  civil  and  religious  liberty?  Why  is  it 
20* 


238  LILY     WHITE. 

that  those  beauteous  groves,  made  sacred  by  a  thousand 
fond  associations ;  those  lovely  and  impressive  scenes  hal- 
lowed by  the  touch  of  poetic  inspiration ;  those  sparkling 
fountains,  chastened  by  the  presence  of  beauty ;  and 
those  gorgeous  palaces,  rendered  immortal  by  the  hand 
of  genius,  are  now  clad  in  mourning  and  draped  in 
gloom?  Why  is  it  that  instead  of  the  sound  of  the 
cymbal,  is  heard  the  cry  of  the  poor ;  instead  of  the 
melody  of  the  lyre,  the  wail  of  the  afflicted;  instead 
of  the  proud  tramp  of  victorious  armies,  led  on  by  mar- 
tial music,  the  sobs  of  thousands  in  deep  distress ;  and 
instead  of  eloquence  kindled  in  the  holy  cause  of  free- 
dom, may  now  be  caught  the  words — "Ho  fame! 
muoro  della  fame!  non  m' abandonate  ?" —  "I  am 
hungry !  I  am  dying  with  hunger !  do  not  abandon 
me?"  Why  is  it  that  the  noble  bearing  of  the  Roman 
has  been  exchanged  for  the  swaggering  gait  of  the 
modern  Italian?  Why  is  it  that  the  manly  toga  has 
been  changed  for  filth  and  rags ;  the  sign  of  want  and 
beggary  ?  How  does  it  happen  that  in  the  same  land, 
beneath  the  same  blue  skies  where  once  the  maidens 
decked  their  beauteous  tresses  with  gems  and  brilliants 
that  rivaled  the  first  golden  blush  of  morning,  and 
adorned  themselves  with  fabrics  from  India  and  the 
distant  islands  of  the  sea,  may  now  be  seen  dark-haired 
virgins,  just  ripening  into  conscious  womanhood,  with 
disheveled  locks,  and  with  bosoms  heaving  with  the 
spring-tide  of  unholy  love ;  and  who,  for  a  handful  of 
paltry  coins,  will  exhibit  those  perfections  which  should 
be  forever  hid  from  mortal  view  ? 

Will  the  lapse  of  a  few  hundred  years  answer  these 
questions?     Will  the  natural  decay  of  kingdoms  and 


LILY     WHITE.  239 

empires  solve  them?  Is  the  tendency  of  man  and 
society  downward  ?  No,  none  of  these.  But  the  truth 
is  to  be  found  in  the  fact  that  where  once  floated  tri- 
umphantly the  Roman  Eagle,  is  now  out-spread  the 
raven  wing  of  Roman  Catholicism,  which  casts  a  shadow 
of  gloom  over  those  monuments  of  ancient  glory  and 
renown.  Where  once  arose  the  voice  of  a  mighty  peo- 
ple are  now  heard  the  cruel  mandates  of  a  Pope,  which 
strike  terror  to  the  heart  and  fill  the  land  with  igno- 
rance, superstition,  and  woe. 

"Submit,  recant,  and  be  saved;  persist,  and  be 
damned,"  has  been  the  death-knell  not  only  to  Italy, 
but  to  the  Mexican  Isthmus,  Peru,  Portugal,  and  Spain ; 
and  the  same  decree  will  ere  long  be  heard  in  thunder- 
tones  echoing  through  other  lands  !  Protestants  should 
wage  no  war  against  the  virtues  of  the  Catholic  Church, — 
and  it  has  virtues, — but  should  raise  the  warning  voice 
against  its  vices,  and  offer  heartfelt  prayers  for  the 
amelioration  of  its  blind  votaries.  Because  its-  vicious 
tenets  are  such  as  lead  to  misery,  ruin,  and  death,  and 
bind  with  fetters  which  no  reason  can  strike  off  and 
which  no  power  can  rend  asunder.  Give  the  Roman 
Church  the  absolute  power,  and  earth  would  soon  be 
clad  in  mourning  and  wrapt  in  a  dismal  darkness.  The 
light  of  learning  would  be  forever  extinguished;  the 
spirit  of  liberty  would  be  lost  in  the  deep,  dark  mid- 
night of  ignorance ;  the  red  arm  of  might  would  tri- 
umph over  right ;  the  flag  of  war  would  be  unfurled  to 
the  breeze ;  the  bloody  car  of  tyranny  would  roll  over 
the  necks  of  the  people ;  pestilence  would  ride  upon  the 
wind ;  famine,  with  fiery,  sunken  eyes,  and  long,  lean 
arms,  would  stalk  in  the  goary  wake  of  war;  altars 


240  LILY     WHITE. 

would  be  robbed  of  their  beauty;  tears  would  flow  like 
rivers;  crime  would  fear  no  penalty;  like  a  volcano, 
she  would  rend  the  earth  with  mutterings,  and  fill  the 
sky  with  the  smoke  of  her  wrath  !  Ecclesiastical  power, 
no  matter  what  may  be  its  principles  and  what  its  pre- 
tensions, is  ever  to  be  dreaded  by  a  free  and  independent 
people.  The  fact  is  the  same,  whether  it  be  applied  to 
Romanism,  Presbyterianism,  Baptism,  or  vigorous  Me- 
thodism !  Let  Italy,  and  Spain,  and  Peru,  and  Portugal, 
and  Mexico  be  remembered.  Over  their  sad  and  mourn- 
ful history  the  patriot,  philanthropist,  and  Christian 
mingle  their  tears. 

But  in  Italy,  the  land  of  song  and  the  scene  of  our 
story,  is  there  no  patriotism  ?  Has  the  fire  of  freedom 
died  upon  the  altar  ?  No ;  a  spark  still  glows,  and  a 
noble  spirit  animates  the  bosom  of  a  few ;  but,  alas ! 
what  can  a  few  accomplish  when  opposed  by  a  potent 
adversary  whose  policy  has  ever  been  to  blight,  if  pos- 
sible ;  to  crush,  if  necessary ;  and  to  destroy  utterly, 
rather  than  suffer  defeat  ?  Bernardo,  the  learned  man, 
the  cunning  knave,  and  cruel  priest,  is  a  sample  of  the 
means  by  which  the  Roman  Church  advances  its  interest 
and  maintains  its  power. 

The  wheel  of  fortune  is  never  still ;  it  never  ceases 
its  rotation ;  and  with  every  revolution  some  change  is 
wrought  that  is  doomed  to  tell  upon  the  destiny  of  indi- 
viduals and  of  society.  The  man  who,  to-day,  is  almost 
ready  to  clutch  the  dazzling  bauble  fame,  finds  that  it 
has  been  dissolved  by  the  passing  zephyr ;  the  poet  who, 
to-day,  dreams  of  an  immortal  name,  to-morrow  is  dis- 
appointed ;  and  the  politician  who,  to-day,  fondly  looks 
forward  to  distinction,  to-morrow  finds  that,  by  an  im- 


LILY     WHITE.    '  241 

prudent  or  a  wrong  policy,  he  must  drag  out  his  days  a 
private  citizen.  Thus  the  world  moves  on.  But  to  our 
story. 

"This  is  a  sad  business,"  said  Father  Pietro,  a  few 
days  after  the  abduction  of  Lily  White,  as  he  nervously 
paced  his  room,  holding  in  his  hand  a  letter  which  he 
occasionally  paused  to  read  again,  as  if  he  had  been 
mistaken  in  its  meaning.  "  Ah  !  this  is  a  sad  business. 
I  wish  his  Holiness  had  ordered  some  one  else  to  per- 
form it." 

Saying  this  he  rang  a  bell,  and  a  woman  answering 
the  call,  he  informed  her  that  he  desired  to  speak  with 
Father  Bernardo.  Since  the  affray  on  the  night  of 
Lily's  rescue,  from  the  effects  of  the  bruises  and  the 
wound,  Bernardo  had  not  left  the  Convent  of  St.  Mary. 
In  a  few  moments  he  entered.  Though  his  cheeks  were 
whiter  than  usual,  yet  his  eyes  were  as  dark  and  spark- 
ling as  ever. 

"  What  business  have  you  with  me?  What  would  you 
say?"  asked  Bernardo. 

"  Tljat  which,  Bernardo,  I  would  rather  leave  unsaid. 
By  this  morning's  mail  I  received  a  letter  from  Rome, 
under  the  seal  of  His  Holiness  the  Pope — blessed  be  his 
holy  name ! — in  which  he,  having  taken  offence  at  you 
for  leaving  your  post  of  duty  at  Florence  without  his 
knowledge  or  consent,  has  made  it  my  solemn  task  to 
inform  you  that  you  have  been  excommunicated  from 
the  priesthood  of  the  most  Holy  Catholic  Church,  and, 
from  this  time  henceforth  and  for  evermore,  you  are 
forbidden  to  assume  the  sacred  responsibilities  of  priest 
and  confessor." 

When  Bernardo    heard    this   solemn   sentence   pro- 


242  LILY     WHITE. 

nounced  against  him  he  was  overcome  with  rage  and 
disappointment.  His  knees  trembled,  his  bosom  heaved, 
his  eye  was  lit  with  a  fierce  light,  and  his  cheeks,  always 
pale,  were  now  as  white  as  the  cold  marble. 

"  Hell  and  fury  !"  said  he,  with  clenched  hands  ;  "  let 
them  curse,  let  them  disgrace  me !  They  know  my 
power,  they  have  felt  my  influence ;  hence  those  cardi- 
nals wish  to  destroy  me  while  they  can  claim  authority. 
By  all  the  powers  of  hell " 

"Hold,  hold,  Bernardo!"  said  Pietro;  "you  forget 
against  whom  you  lift  your  voice." 

"  Look  !  look  upon  me,  Pietro,  and  behold  what  I  am ! 
Do  you  see  these  cheeks  ?  they  have  grown  pale  in  the 
service  of  the  Church !  Do  you  behold  these  eyes  ?  they 
have  become  thus  sunken  by  long  and  faithfully  watch- 
ing the  interests  of  the  Church !  See  this  emaciated 
form !  It  has  been  reduced  by  toil  in  behalf  of  that 
Pope  who  now  repays  all  my  zeal,  all  my  long  years  of 
labor,  by  an  eternal  disgrace.  Why  have  I  committed 
crimes  from  which  other  men  shrank  ?  That  I  might 
please  the  Pope  !  Why  have  I  given  my  soul  to  hell  ? 
That  I  might  one  day  wear  a  cardinal's  cap  !" 

Bernardo  took  from  his  bosom  a  splendidly  carved 
cross,  and,  throwing  it  upon  the  floor,  trampled  it  be- 
neath his  feet.  In  amazement,  Pietro  started  back. 

"Bernardo,  are  you  mad?"  said  the  astonished 
Pietro. 

"Go  ask  the  fiends  of  the  deepest  hell!  Thus  I 
trample  upon  the  authority  of  the  Holy  Church,"  said 
he,  pressing  his  foot  upon  the  cross,  "  and  thus  I  scorn 
the  power  of  the  Pope,"  said  he,  tearing  asunder  the 
long  flowing  robe  in  which  he  was  clothed. 


LILY     WHITE.  243 

Like  a  raving  maniac  he  tore  his  garments  and  tossed 
the  tattered  pieces  from  him  in  wild  disorder.  The  foam 
stood  upon  his  lips,  and  the  muscles  of  his  body  worked 
like  vipers  striving  to  be  free. 

"Calm  yourself,  Bernardo,"  said  Pietro,  "and  meet 
the  Pope's  decree  with  manly  courage.  You  are  a  brave 
man,  and  one  who  was  never  known  to  shrink  from  any 
danger ;  why  now  give  vent  to  feelings  which  you  can- 
not gratify,  and  beat  the  air  with  idle  and  unmeaning 
words  ?  Come,  Bernardo,  receive  my  blessing — iBene- 
dictio  Domini  sit  vobiscunij'  "  said  Pietro,  piously  cross- 
ing himself. 

"  Give  me  no  blessings !  Curse  me,  curse  me,  Pietro, 
that  I  may  be  damned !  Ha  !  one  consolation  is  yet 
left !  Simonetta  Pitti  shall,  shall  be  mine !  In  the 
warm  light  of  her  beautiful  dark  eyes  I  will  bathe  my 
very  soul  in  bliss,  and  upon  her  snowy  and  rounded 
bosom  I  will  pillow  my  wearied  head  !  I  will  sip  sweet 
nectar  from  her  rosy  lips.  I  have  borne  too  much,  have 
suffered  too  long,  and  have  toiled  too  hard  to  lose  every- 
thing; her  smiles  shall  yet  light  Bernardo  to  glory, 
though  the  pathway  lie  through  blood  and  over  graves  ! 
Hell,  with  all  its  hissing,  howling  demons,  shall  not  pre- 
vent me.  Through  the  gloom  of  night  she  has  been  the 
star  that  guided  me.  In  sickness,  when  my  blood 
bounded  through  my  veins  like  a  wild  river  of  fire,  and 
my  brain  reeled  from  excitement,  the  thoughts  of  her 
calmed  that  tide  and  restored  me  again  to  health.  This 
night  she  shall  be  mine,  else  this  dagger  shall  wed  us 
both  to  the  grim  monster  death  !" 

"  Bernardo,  your  words  betoken  the  madman.  Sup- 
pose that  harm  comes  to  the  girl,  think  you  not  that 


244  LILY     WHITE. 

friends  will  rise  up  to  revenge  any  wrong  that  may  be 
inflicted  upon  her  ?" 

"  The  grave  levels  all  distinctions,  and  hushes  for- 
ever the  mutterings  of  complaint,"  said  Bernardo. 

"  Not  so,"  said  Pietro ;  "  hy  a  wrong  step  your  name 
may  be  covered  with  shame,  and  all  good  men  may  recall 
your  actions  with  regret  and  loathing." 

"  Now  that  I  am  disgraced,  I  care  not  for  the  opinions 
of  men.  There  was  a  time  when  I  crouched  to  gain 
their  approbation ;  but,  Pietro,  that  day  is  passed. 
Come,  let's  end  these  idle  words.  Go,  seek  your  con- 
fessional, and  listen  to  stories  of  crime ;  I  will  work  out 
my  success,  be  it  in  a  good  or  evil  cause." 

With  this  Bernardo  left  Pietro's  room,  his  heart  filled 
with  anger  and  bitterness.  Pietro  secretly  rejoiced  in 
his  soul  that  Bernardo  was  no  longer  a  priest  of  the 
Church  of  Rome ! 

******** 

A  beautiful  hope  had  sprung  up  in  the  heart  of  Si- 
monetta  Pitti.  Like  a  new  being  she  walked  the  earth 
in  beauty !  Upon  her  even  the  stars  seemed  to  beam 
with  a  brighter  effulgence  !  Within  her  virgin  heart  had 
arisen  a  lovely  altar,  dedicated  to  love.  In  visiting  the 
trading  saloons  upon  the  Square  of  St.  Mark  she  had 
accidentally  met  a  young  Austrian  soldier,  who,  being 
struck  with  her  graceful  form  and  matchless  beauty, 
sought  her  out  and  won  her  heart.  The  name  of  this 
fortunate  man  was  Leopold  Haldenberg.  No  more  of 
his  history  can  be  given  than  that,  at  an  early  age,  he 
entered  the  Austrian  service,  and,  by  his  honesty,  his 
noble  and  dignified  bearing,  and  his  daring  bravery,  had 
won  distinguished  honors.  Relative  to  his  early  years 


LILY     AY  KITE.  245 

he  was  silent.  It  seemed  that  a  mystery  hung  over  that 
period  of  his  life,  and  no  one  who  knew  Leopold  Hal- 
denberg  dared  to  press  their  questions  to  too  great  a 
length.  He  had  been  stationed  in  Venice  for  the  pur- 
pose of  commanding  the  forces  collected  there,  and, 
also,  to  superintend  the  interests  of  the  government  in 
every  respect. 

This,  indeed,  was  a  high  and  honorable  position  for 
one  so  young  to  hold ;  but,  so  far,  he  had  conducted 
himself  in  such  a  manner  as  to  reflect  honor  upon  his 
own  name  and  to  claim  respect  for  the  soldiery  under 
his  command.  In  the  camp  he  was  as  generous  as  he 
was  brave  in  the  field.  In  times  of  peace  his  heart  was 
easily  melted  by  the  tale  of  sorrow,  and  a  comrade  in 
arms  never  called  upon  Leopold  Haldenberg  in  vain. 

He  was  all  that  a  soldier  should  be.  In  council  he 
was  wise,  in  the  discharge  of  duty  prompt,  in  the  exe- 
cution of  discipline  just,  generous  in  all  his  actions,  and 
in  the  fiercest  conflict  of  battle  his  sword  gleamed  in  the 
foremost  ranks,  and  his  clarion  voice,  ringing  loud  and 
clear  above  the  tumult  of  strife,  could  be  heard  urging 
his  men  on  to  victory  or  to  death  ! 

But,  as  we  have  already  mentioned,  there  liung  over 
the  early  history  of  this  young  soldier  a  mystery  which 
the  eye  of  curiosity  couid  not  penetrate ;  for  though  he 
commanded  the  Austrian  forces,  and  though  his  name 
suggested  an  Austrian  descent,  yet  his  raven  locks  and 
darkly -flashing  eye  told  too  plainly  that  his  origin  was 
Italian. 

Hitherto  Leopold  had  exerted  all  his  energies  to  carve 
out  for  himself  a  name.  To  accomplish  this  one  great 
object  of  his  life,  all  his  powers  of  body  and  mind  had 
21 


246  LILY     WHIT  E. 

been  directed.  In  the  hottest  conflict,  where  the  cannon 
roared  the  loudest  and  where  balls  whizzed  the  thickest, 
this  thought  haunted  his  soul  and  nerved  him  to  still 
greater  deeds  of  daring.  But  a  brighter  light  beamed 
athwart  his  pathway.  It  stole  into  his  heart  and  warmed 
it  with  a  new  desire. 

On  a  lovely  evening,  just  as  the  roseate  hues  were 
fading  from  the  western  sky  and  the  melancholy  twi- 
light was  settling  softly  over  city,  valley,  and  mountain, 
Leopold  Haldenberg  and  Simonetta  Pitti  strolled  slowly, 
arm  in  arm,  through  the  flower-garden  of  Simonetta' s 
new  home.  It  was  the  hour  for  love  !  Away  in  the  dim 
distance  the  Julian  Alps  reared  their  towering  summits 
to  the  evening  clouds,  and  in  the  gentle  twilight  resem- 
bled huge  pillars  of  the  world.  In  another  direction 
the  billowy  Adriatic  stretched  its  sparkling  waters, 
whitened  here  and  there  by  a  snowy  sail,  fluttering  in 
the  evening  breeze;  while  nearer  still  uprose  many  a 
proud  dome  and  graceful  campanile",  all  aglow  with  the 
mild  splendor  of  the  twilight  hour.  The  song  of  the 
distant  gondolier  came  wafted  in  cooling  zephyrs  to  this 
loving  and  happy  pair,  and  the  silvery  chime  of  many  a 
convent  bell,  calling  to  vespers,  floated  musically  over 
Venice — the  fair  "  Ocean  Queen." 

"  Hark !  my  Leopold,  to  the  chime  of  the  vesper 
bells !"  said  the  beautiful  Simonetta,  her  dark  eyes 
beaming  with  the  pure  and  holy  flame  of  love,  and  her 
cheeks  glowing  with  a  "pearly  pink"  that  told  of  a 
sacred  feeling  burning  at  her  heart. 

"  Come,  my  dark-eyed  beauty,  let's  hasten  to  yonder 
fragrant  bower,  where  we  may  place  our  dearest  hopes 
for  the  future  upon  the  altar  of  love,"  said  Leopold,  as 


LILY      WHITE.  247 

he  bent  his  ardent  gaze  upon  the  lovely  girl  that  hung 
gently  upon  his  arm  like  a  beauteous  flower. 

"Ah!  Simonetta,"  continued  he,  as  they  wended  their 
way  toward  the  bower,  "  since  I  first  met  you  upon  the 
Square  of  St.  Mark  I  have  become  a  new  and  better 
man.  Ere  that,  I  had  striven  for  a  name,  and  found  it ; 
but  there  was  within  my  breast  that  which  was  not  yet 
satisfied.  Everything  for  which  my  soul  panted  in  my 
wildest  moments  of  ambition  has  been  gratified  in  thy 
approving  smiles,  and  my  heart  has  now  no  other  wish 
than  to  merit  the  love  which  you  have  so  recently  con- 
ferred on  me." 

"Leopold,"  answered  the  blushing  girl,  "such  decla- 
rations doubtless  have  made  some  fair  Austrian  maiden's 
heart  leap  with  joy.  I  have  listened  to  too  many  tales 
of  love  to  credit  all  I  hear." 

"  I  swear  by  mine  honor,  which  is  dearer  to  me  than 
life,  and  by  the  heavens  now  glowing  above  us,  that  I 
but  speak  the  truth  when  I  say  that  earth  hath  no 
brighter  jewel  than  thou ;  and  I  shall  never  be  happier 
nor  prouder  than  when  beneath  the  soft  influence  of  thy 
loving  eyes." 

"  Fie  upon  thee,  Leopold  !  Thou  a  soldier  and  talk 
thus ;  as  if  life  were  a  gala-day  and  not  a  stern  reality, 
with  joys  mingled  with  sorrows  and  sunshine  darkened 
by  gloom !" 

"  Yes,  Simonetta,  I  dare  to  talk  thus,  and  am  willing 
to  maintain  the  truthfulness  of  my  assertion  with  this 
strong  right  arm  against  the  man,  be  he  whom  he  may, 
who  is  bold  enough  to  gainsay  it.  I  have  drank  too 
deeply  of  life's  sorrows,  have  seen  too  much  of  its  woes, 
have  felt  too  much  of  its  anguish,  and  have  listened  to 


248  LILY     WHITE. 

too  many  groans,  to  be  ignorant  of  what  you  say.  But, 
my  dearest  girl,  there  is  a  time  for  joy  and  sorrow; 
would  you  have  this  hour,  set  apart  for  love,  oversha- 
dowed by  one  dark  hint  at  misfortune.  With  you  by 
my  side,  life  has  not  a  terror  for  me ;  for  the  gloomiest 
hour  would  be  changed  into  sunshine  by  one  of  your  lov- 
ing glances." 

They  had  now  reached  the  bower.  Around  them  hung 
in  clustering  festoons  the  sweetest  flowers.  Seating 
themselves  upon  a  rustic  seat  this  young  and  happy  pair 
talked  of  the  past,  and  painted  the  future  in  all  the 
gorgeous  hues  of  romance. 

Simonetta  informed  Leopold  of  her  past  life :  how  she 
had  been  insulted  by  her  confessor ;  how,  like  an  evil 
spirit,  he  had  followed  on  her  pathway ;  and  how  he  had 
threatened  her  with  a  compulsory  marriage.  She  also 
spoke  to  him  of  Eugene  Saunders,  and  candidly  made 
known  the  fact  that  at  first  she  thought  she  loved  him, 
but  on  a  close  analysis  of  her  feelings  she  found  that 
what  she  considered  love  was  only  admiration,  mingled 
with  profound  respect. 

"What!"  said  he,  "is  it  possible  that  you  have  suf- 
fered thus  at  the  hands  of  a  man  who  calls  himself  holy 
father  ?  Give  me  his  name,  Simonetta,  that  I-may  hunt 
him  down,  and  with  these  hands  scourge  him  as  his 
insolence  and  hypocrisy  deserve.  I  will  follow  him  to 
the  remotest  corner  of  the  globe,  and  having  found  him, 
I  will  chastise  him  until  he  falls  upon  the  earth  begging 
for  that  mercy  which  he  has  not  shown." 

"  Oh!  Leopold  !"  said  the  trembling  maiden,  "  do  not 
talk  thus ;  you  know  not  against  whom  you  make  such 
threats." 


LILY     WHITE.  249 

"  If  he  is  in  the  shape  of  man,  I  will  execute  them 
upon  him.  What !  Simonetta,  think  you  that  I  who 
have  stood  in  the  foremost  rank  of  battle,  and  met  the 
most  powerful  enemy  hand  to  hand,  fear  to  face  a  craven 
priest  who  has  dared  to  torment  and  insult  a  defenceless 
maiden?  By  all  the  powers  of  earth  I  will  teach  the 
villain  a  lesson  that  he  will  remember  upon  his  dying 
bed !  But  come,  my  sweet  girl,  give  the  name  of  this 
daring  priest." 

"  I  fear,  my  Leopold,  that  your  haste  will  involve  you 
in  difficulties." 

"  To  seek  for  dangers  and  difficulties  has  been  my 
business  from  boyhood,"  said  he. 

"  But,  Leopold,  you  have  sought  them  for  your  coun- 
try's good.  I  would  not  endanger  your  life  for  any 
suffering  I  have  felt,  or  any  wrong  I  have  sustained." 

"The  man,"  said  Leopold,  "who  would  not  resent 
the  wrongs  of  his  lady-love,  would  flee  in  time  of  dan- 
ger, and  upon  bended  knees  would  purchase  from  the 
enemy  his  pardon  at  the  expense  of  his  country.  If  it 
should  cost  me  my  life,  it  will  be  sweet  to  know  that  I 
have  offered  it  up  in  a  glorious  cause,  and  that  there 
would  be  one  at  least  who  would  cherish  the  name  of  the 
soldier,  and  over  his  grave  shed  a  tear  of  sympathy. 
Tell  me,  Simonetta,  would  you  not  ?" 

She  threw  herself  upon  the  manly  bosom  of  the  sol- 
dier, and,  weeping,  said, — 

"  Oh !  Leopold,  do  not  talk  of  death;  it  casts  a  sha- 
dow over  my  soul.  I  have  promised  to  become  your 
wife ;  then  be  satisfied  to  resent  my  wrongs  for  the 
future,  and  think  not  of  the  past.  Father  Bernardo — " 

"What  sayest  thou?"  said  Leopold,  starting  as  if  an 
21* 


250  LILY     WHITE. 

adder  had  stung  him  to  the  heart.  "  Call  that  name 
again,"  continued  he,  in  a  half-ahstracted  mood,  as  if  he 
was  trying  to  recall  the  past ;  "  call  that  name  again ; 
for  it  brings  back  upon  my  mind  a  dim  and  shadowy 
vision  of  other  days,  and  the  memory  of  wrongs  that 
remain  yet  unavenged." 

"  Oh !  tell  me,  tell  me,  Leopold,  what  can  be  the 
matter  with  you?  Why  is  it  that  the  name  of  Father 
Bernardo  makes  you  start  thus,  and  talk  as  though  you 
were  mad  ?"  said  she,  her  lustrous  eyes  upturned  to  his, 
sparkling  with  the  mingled  feelings  of  alarm  and  love." 

"  Simonetta,"  said  he,  "  the  story  is  a  long  one.  For 
the  present,  know  that  Bernardo's  name  has  been  often 
by  another  told  to  me.  I  learned  that  his  influence 
made  me  a  homeless  wanderer  in  my  early  youth.  By 
all  the  gods,  I  will  be  avenged!  You  intimated  that 
he  was  in  Venice.  I  will  search  him  out  and  pay  him 
this  double  debt.  Farewell,  my  dearest  girl !  let  this 
kiss,  impressed  with  the  holiest  feelings  of  a  sacred  love, 
be  the  pure  token  of  our  speedy  union." 

Ere  Simonetta  could  remonstrate,  Leopold  Halden- 
berg  was  gone.  She  buried  her  face  in  her  lap  and 
wept. 


LILY     WHITE.  251 


CHAPTER  XXI. 

It  was  a  cavern  dark  and  dreary, 

Where  the  Furies  might  be  thought  to  dwell. 

ANON. 

Let  us  trace  them ; 
She  cannot  be  fled  afar. 

BYRON'S  SARDANAPALUS. 

AFTER  the  interview  with  Pietro,  Bernardo  returned 
to  his  room  to  meditate  upon  what  had  happened  and 
to  plan  means  for  the  accomplishment  of  his  wicked 
designs.  As  soon  as  night  mantled  the  earth  with 
gloom,  he  threw  a  robe  about  his  form,  and,  departing, 
turned  his  footsteps  toward  the  Square  of  St.  Mark. 

Now  that  he  was  excommunicated  from  the  priest- 
hood, he  gave  free  scope  to  his  unbridled  passions.  For 
years  he  had  watched  the  budding  beauties  of  the  Italian 
maiden ;  and  now  that  she  stood  within  his  reach  like  a 
full-blown  rose,  his  very  soul  was  on  fire  to  possess  a 
flower  so  fair  and  beautiful.  Time  and  again,  Simo- 
netta,  with  scorn,  had  repulsed  his  advances ;  but  in 
the  fierceness  of  his  fiery  temper  he  had  registered  a 
vow  that  this  night  he  would  triumph,  else  his  dagger 
should  wed  them  both  to  the  grim  monster  death.  None 
who  knew  Bernardo  doubted  that  he  would  fail  to  exe- 
cute his  threat.  Already  he  had  crossed  the  rubicon  of 
crime,  and  now  that  he  had  lost  all  hopes  of  preferment 
in  the  Church,  no  act  was  too  daring  that  would  enable 
him  to  gratify  his  unholy  desires. 

With  his  robe  drawn  closely  about  him,  Bernardo  was 


252  LILY     WHITE. 

walking  rapidly  toward  the  Square  of  St.  Mark,  and 
was  just  passing  the  ancient  Church  of  Orivolo,  when  a 
man  stepped  forth  from  the  shadow  cast  by  this  antique 
structure,  and  laid  his  hand  boldly  upon  the  shoulder  of 
the  disgraced  priest.  Bernardo  started  back  at  this 
bold  interruption,  and  gazed  fiercely  upon  the  man  who 
had  thus  dared  to  accost  him  so  unceremoniously. 

He  was  a  stoutly-built,  square-shouldered  man,  and 
his  finely -rounded  limbs  intimated  clearly  that  to 
great  bodily  strength  he  united  wonderful  activity. 
Over  his  shoulders  was  carelessly  thrown  a  black  velvet 
cloak,  edged  with  gold  lace,  and  clasped  at  the  throat 
with  a  splendid  brooch  of  immense  value.  This  gar- 
ment was  cut  after  the  fashion  of  the  ancient  Roman 
toga,  and  could  be  worn  either  as  a  coat  or  as  a  cloak, 
at  the  wish  of  the  wearer.  Upon  his  head  was  a  cap 
of  the  same  material,  drawn  to  one  side  and  confined  by 
a  silver  anchor.  A  hunter's  horn,  bound  with  silver, 
and  suspended  by  a  polished  chain  of  steel,  hung  by  his 
side.  From  beneath  his  dark  velvet  mantle  gleamed 
the  handle  of  a  dagger. 

"Whither  do  you  journey  so  rapidly,  Bernardo?" 
said  the  stranger,  in  a  tone  of  voice  that  indicated  more 
of  mockery  than  of  reverence. 

"  Show  me  your  right,  sir,  to  make  such  a  demand, 
ere  you  ask  the  question,"  answered  Bernardo. 

"Here  is  my  authority,"  said  the  stranger,  producing 
from  his  pocket  a  paper  and  handing  it  to  the  priest. 

Bernardo  stepped  without  the  shadow  of  the  building, 
and,  holding  the  scrip  of  paper  to  the  moonbeams,  read 
its  contents. 

"Ah!"  said  he,  when  he  had  finished,  "is  it  possi- 


LILY     WHITE.  253 

ble !  Why,  Alberto,  I  thought  you  had  fled  to  some 
distant  island  of  the  sea,  and  that  you  were  reveling 
amid  the  olive-groves  of  a  more  southern  clime.  Come, 
give  me  your  hand.  ,  To  tell  the  truth,  of  all  the  men 
of  my  acquaintance  I  had  rather,  this  night,  see  Alberto." 

"  When  Bernardo  passes  a  compliment,  his  own  self- 
interest  is  at  stake.  Know  you,  sir,  that  I  am  no  monk, 
to  be  standing  here  in  idle  conversation,  when  every 
moment  may  cost  me  my  life.  Tell  me,  are  you  ready 
to  comply  with  the  demand  made  in  that  paper?" 

"  I  am  willing  to  do  more  than  that,"  said  Bernardo; 
"  you  have  done  me  good  service  in  years  gone  by,  and 
if  you  will  lend  me  your  assistance  to-night,  I  will 
double  the  amount." 

"  Before  I  can  comply  with  your  request,  I  must  first 
know  its  nature ;  for,  though  men  regard  me  as  an  out- 
law, yet  I  will  engage  in  no  undertaking,  however  pro- 
fitable, unless  it  accords  with  my  views  of  correct 
principles,"  said  Alberto. 

"This,"  said  Bernardo,  lifting  his  eyes  to  the  tower- 
ing building,  "is  the  renowned  Church  of  Orivolo. 
Years  ago  the  most  beauteous  maidens  of  the  Venetian 
Republic  were  assembled  here  for  marriage,  when  the 
brave  and  manly  Istrians  rushed  in,  captured  the  fair 
prizes,  and  hastened  from  the  church." 

"Yes,"  answered  Alberto;  "but,  if  I  have  not  for- 
gotten my  history,  the  maidens  were  recaptured,  and 
the  bold  Istrian  pirates  put  to  flight." 

"  Ay,  Alberto ;  but  they  have  rendered  their  names 
immortal ;  and  this  noble  structure,  now  bathed  in  the 
soft  moonlight,  borrows  its  interest  from  that  scene, 
enacted  here  near  the  foundation  of  this  Republic." 


254  LILY     WHITE. 

"  What,  Bernardo,  have  the  Istrians  to  do  with  our 
present  business  ?  If  you  have  any  proposition  to  make 
that  conies  within  my  province,  speak.  I  have  no  time 
to  stand  here  listening  to  figurative  language,  when  my 
graceful  Isabelle,  the  mistress  of  the  sea,  is  pressing 
upon  her  cables  and  longs  once  more  to  kiss  the  rolling 
billows  with  her  bright  keel." 

"  There  is  in  this  city,"  said  Bernardo,  "  a  maiden 
whom  I  have  long  loved  with  passionate  devotion.  She 
has  scorned  me  from  her  presence.  I  have  sworn  to 
make  her  my  wife  this  night,  and  nothing  but  death 
shall  thwart  me  in  my  aim  !  Alberto,  if  you  will  lend 
me  your  assistance,  name  your  price,  and  the  glittering 
gold  shall  clank  at  your  feet.  I  have  amassed  wealth  ; 
secure  to  me  this  triumph,  and  you  shall  be  satisfied." 

"How  do  you  propose  that  I  shall  act  ?"  said  Alberto. 

"As  your  own  experience  may  suggest,"  replied  Ber- 
nardo. 

"  My  experience  runs  not  in  that  direction.  I  have 
had  to  deal  with  man,  not  woman.  But  I  accept  your 
terms." 

"I  thank  you  from  my  heart,"  Bernardo  said;  "at 
ten  o'clock  meet  me  upon  the  Square  of  St.  Mark.  If 
the  maiden  will  not  consent,  do  you  rush  in,  seize  upon 
her  person  and  bear  her  to  your  vessel ;  the  rest  can 
easily  be  managed,"  said  Bernardo. 

"  I  will  meet  you  with  three  of  my  most  faithful  men, 
and  if  the  girl  is  stubborn  I  will  conduct  her  to  my 
cave.  It  would  be  unsafe  to  place  her  on  board  the 
vessel." 

"It  matters  not  where  she  is  deposited,  so  that  she  is 
mine,"  said  Bernardo. 


LILY     WHITE.  255 

After  a  few  more  words  had  been  exchanged  between 
them  they  separated,  each  taking  a  different  direction. 

When  their  footsteps  ceased  to  ring  upon  the  pave- 
ment, a  dark  form  glided  from  a  niche  within  the  wall. 

"Ah!  the  outrageous  villain!  If  the  Church  of 
Rome  has  ears,  I  will  teach  Bernardo  that  there  is  one, 
at  least,  who  can  keep  pace  with  him.  He  shall  see 
that  I  have  not  forgotten  him !  He  shall  yet  fall,  else 
I  will  perish !  I  will  follow  on  his  pathway ;  I  will 
hunt  him  from  place  to  place ;  I  will  haunt  him  in  his 
dying  hour !  This  night  I  will  thwart  him  in  his  base 
design  !  When  I  forget  the  wrongs  that  Bernardo  has 
heaped  upon  me,  may  I  forget  myself.  But  I  must 
away  to  the  rescue  !" 

Uglino  darted  away  with  greater  rapidity  than  one 
would  suppose  could  have  belonged  to  a  figure  so  marred 
by  nature.  He  paused  not  to  regard  the  magnificent 
edifices  about  him ;  he  stopped  not  to  notice  the 
gondolas  that  sped  hither  and  thither  in  the  beau- 
tiful moonlight ;  he  slackened  not  his  gait  to  listen  to 
the  soft  and  dulcet  notes  of  the  guitar  that  floated  on 
the  air.  On  he  hastened,  bent  upon  his  urgent  business. 

He  sought  the  hotel,  ascended  a  flight  of  steps,  and 
knocked  at  a  door.  It  opened,  and  Eugene  Saunders 
kindly  welcomed  Uglino  to  a  seat.  The  dwarfs  eyes 
sparkled  with  that  same  indescribable  fire  that  caused 
Bernardo  to  draw  his  robe  more  closely  about  him  on 
the  evening  he  sought  to  hire  him  to  assassinate  Eugene 
Saunders. 

"Has  not  Uglino  offered  you  his  services,"  said  the 
dwarf,  "  on  more  than  one  occasion  ?" 

"You  have,  my  friend,"  said  Eugene,  not  knowing 


256  LILY     WHITE. 

what  could  be  the  meaning  of  Uglino's  language;  "and 
I  owe  you  a  debt  of  gratitude  which  I  would  to  God  was 
in  my  power  to  repay." 

"This  night,"  said  Uglino,  "you  can  render  me  a 
service.  I  know  I  have  but  to  mention  the  object,  in 
order  to  procure  your  aid." 

"  You  may  count  me  your  friend  in  any  undertaking 
that  claims  your  attention,  Uglino.  When  the  American 
maiden  was  in  prison,  your  sagacity  and  bravery  saved 
her.  For  that  one  generous  deed  you  shall  have  my 
aid,  even  though  it  should  cost  me  my  life." 

"  Young  man,  listen.  A  short  time  ago  I  overheard 
Bernardo  plotting  with  Alberto,  the  daring  pirate  of  the 
Mediterranean,  to  overcome  Simonetta  Pitti.  They 
stood  within  the  shadow  of  the  Church  of  Orivolo,  while 
I  was  concealed  in  a  niche  close  by,  and  could  hear 
every  word  that  passed  between  these  daring  wretches." 

"  Uglino,"  said  Eugene,  "you  astonish  me  !" 

"To-night,  at  ten,"  continued  Uglino,  "  they  meet 
upon  the  Square  of  St.  Mark." 

"So  soon  as  that!"  said  Eugene,  examining  his 
watch ;  "we  must  hasten,  it  is  now  nine.  What  say 
you,  Uglino,  to  the  dispatching  of  a  note  to  Leopold 
Haldenberg,  the  commander  of  the  Austrian  forces. 
He  is  said  to  be  brave  and  generous,  and  will  not  refuse 
to  lend  his  aid  in  a  matter  where  duty  calls  and  gal- 
lantry claims  his  service." 

"I  have  no  objection,"  answered  Uglino. 

Accordingly,  Eugene  dispatched  a  note  to  the  quar- 
ters of  Leopold  Haldenberg,  claiming  an  interview  with 
him  immediately  on  urgent  business.  Uglino  hastened 
to  inform  Castruccio  Castracini,  leaving  Eugene  to 


L  I  L  Y     W  II I  T  E.  257 

break  the  intelligence  to  Leopold.  In  the  course  of  a 
few  minutes  Leopold  Haldenberg  entered  the  apart- 
ment of  Eugene  Saunders. 

When  Eugene  related  to  the  young  soldier  what  he 
had  learned  from  Uglino,  he  was  surprised  at  the  in- 
fluence the  information  exerted  upon  him.  With  flash- 
ing eye  and  heaving  bosom  he  leaped  to  his  feet,  and 
darted  for  the  door,  muttering  curses  upon  the  head  of 
Bernardo.  As  quick  as  lightning,  Eugene  intercepted 
his  flight,  and  prevailed  upon  him  to  be  quiet  for  a 
moment. 

"  Ah  !  sir,  there  is  a  demon  slumbering  in  this  breast, 
and  it  shall  vent  its  burning  rage  upon' this  priest.  All 
that  I  have  suffered  in  life  has  been  caused  by  him. 
That,  sir,  I  could  have  borne ;  but  when  he  attempts  to 
carry  out  his  vile  designs  against  her  who  is  dearer  to 
me  than  life,  I  will  hunt  him  to  the  end  of  the  earth.  If 
he  should  stand  upon  the  summit  of  Vesuvius  and  leap 
into  its  blazing  depths,  rather  than  he  should  escape  me 
I  would  follow  him,  and  amid  the  subterranean  and  sul- 
phurous fires  I  would  wreak  my  vengeance  on  the  hypo- 
crite. Come,  come,  let's  hasten  !  To  me  every  moment 
is  an  age ;  every  pulsation  of  this  heart  an  eternity ! 
My  men  are  ready  and  await  below." 

Eugene  was  struck  with  the  bold  and  fearless  manner 
of  Leopold.  In  him  he  saw  a  man  who  was  to  be  feared, 
dreaded.  In  his  appearance  there  was  something  so 
noble  and  commanding,  his  language  was  so  lofty,  and 
his  eye  flashed  with  such  brilliancy,  that  Eugene  gazed 
upon  him  with  admiration. 

"Sir,"  said  Eugene,  "I  sympathize  with  you  in  your 
present  state  of  feeling.  The  young  lady  who  is  this 
22 


258  LILY     WHITE. 

night  in  danger  has  twice  saved  my  life,  and  I  would 
storm  an  army  of  a  thousand  men,  face  the  waves  of  the 
ocean  or  the  flames  of  destruction,  rather  than  harm 
should  fall  upon  her  head.  This  Bernardo,  too,  is  my 
deadliest  foe ;  but,  sir,  I  need  not  tell  you,  a  brave  and 
prudent  soldier,  that  our  only  means  of  success  depend 
upon  prudence  and  caution." 

"  Signore  Saunders,  you  are  right,"  said  Leopold. 

Uglino  and  Castruccio  entered.  Soon  all  the  neces- 
sary arrangements  were  made,  and  these  brave  and 
intrepid  men  set  out  to  thwart  those  bold  and  daring 
wretches  who  were  plotting  the  abduction  of  Simonetta 
Pitti.  Leopold  Haldenberg  urged  his  men  to  their 
utmost  speed.  Upon  every  moment  hung  the  destiny 
of  that  fair  being  who  had  plighted  her  hand  to  him, 
and  whose  safety  was  dearer  to  him  than  earthly  fame. 
His  happiness  was  at  stake.  With  a  heaving  bosom  and 
flashing  eye  he  hastened  on.  In  a  few  moments  they 
stood  before  the  humble  dwelling  of  Lucretia  Pitti. 
Everything  was  still  and  silent.  A  faint  light  glim- 
mered through  the  window.  Eugene  Saunders  ap- 
proached the  door  and  rapped.  No  answer  came,  no 
voice  bade  them  enter.  Cautiously,  for  fear  of  giving 
alarm,  Eugene  opened  the  door,  and  one  by  one  they 
entered.  A  sight  of  horror  burst  upon  their  vision. 
Lying  upon  the  floor,  covered  with  blood,  were  the  forms 
of  the  female  servant,  and  Lucretia,  the  mother  of  Si- 
monetta ! 

As  this  dreadful  spectacle  met  their  view  all  drew 
back  in  horror  !  The  blood  still  spouted  warm  and  free 
from  the  throat  of  Lucretia,  and  flowed  in  a  red  and 
fiery  stream  along  the  floor !  When  Leopold  beheld 


LILY     WHITE.  259 

this  scene  of  blood  his  knees  trembled,  his  face  grew 
pale  as  death,  his  form  reeled,  and,  if  Eugene  had  not 
supported  him,  he  would  have  fallen.  In  an  instant  he 
aroused  himself,  and  again  the  demon  awoke  in  his 
breast. 

"The  foul  fiends,"  said  he,  "have  triumphed.  Let 
us  assist  the  living,  the  dead  are  beyond  all  pain.  I 
swear  by  the  blood  that  flows  along  this  floor,  and  by 
the  injuries  that  have  been  done  upon  the  living,  that  I 
will  have  my  revenge.  Whether  they  be  upon  the  land 
or  upon  the  sea,  upon  the  mountain  or  the  plain,  in  the 
city  or  in  the  field,  they  shall  not  escape.  Come, 
come,  let's  away;  even  now  the  vile  hell-hounds  may 
be  at  their  work  of  shame ;  even  now  my  darling  girl 
may  be  raising  her  plaintive  voice  for  mercy,  or  may  be 
calling  upon  the  name  of  Leopold  Haldenberg  for  as- 
sistance !  And  by  all  the  gods  she  shall  have  it !" 

"My  friend,"  said  Uglino,  "govern  your  feelings, 
and  for  a  moment  be  silent.  Who  among  these  men  is 
acquainted  with  the  mountains  ?" 

"  I  am,"  answered  a  soldier. 

"  Do  you  know,"  asked  Uglino,  "  of  any  cavern  near 
enough  to  this  city  in  which  the  men  who  have  done  this 
deed  could  find  a  harbor?" 

"I  do,  sir,"  said  the  soldier ;  " four  miles  distant  is  a 
cave  into  which  nothing  but  the  devil  himself  would 
venture." 

"  Can  you  lead  us  thither  ?"  asked  the  dwarf. 

"I  can,  sir."  . 

Leopold,  having  formed  his  men  in  order,  enjoined 
upon  each  one  to  preserve  the  strictest  silence.  At 
length  the  word  of  command  was  given,  and  this"  small 


260  LILY     WHITE. 

but  determined  body  of  men  filed  away  toward  the 
mountains.  The  night  was  dark,  but  clear,  and  a  my- 
riad of  bright  and  beautiful  stars  gemmed  the  skies.  On 
the  left  stretched  the  sea,  its  bosom  reflecting  in  won- 
derful perfection  the  starry  firmament — distinctly  could 
they  hear  the  waves  dashing  and  breaking  upon  the 
beach ;  and  behind  them  gleamed  a  thousand  lights,  some 
flashing  from  palace  windows,  others  twinkling  from  the 
dwellings  of  the  poor  and  humble ;  on  the  right  rose 
in  majestic  grandeur  the  mountains,  their  shadows  soft- 
ened down  by  the  shades  of  night,  and  their  rugged 
and  jagged  crags  lost  amid  the  general  gloom. 

Silently  these  noble  men  journeyed  on,  each  bent  upon 
his  own  thoughts.  Naught  broke  the  silence  of  the 
night  save  the  tramp,  tramp,  tramp,  of  the  advancing 
soldiers,  and  the  beating  of  the  waves  along  the  beach. 
Ever  and  anon  came  the  low  but  distinct  command, — 

"  On,  men,  on ;  on,  soldiers,  on !" 

Away  in  the  distance  a  fiery  red  rocket  darted  toward 
the  sky  with  a  lurid  glare.  For  a  moment  it  paused  on 
its  flaming  way,  and  then  burst  into  a  thousand  beautiful 
and  brilliant  lights,  flashing  here  and  there  until  the 
very  heavens  seemed  on  fire  ! 

"  Ha !"  said  Uglino,  "  that  is  the  pirates'  signal  from 
the  mountains ;  and  I  am  deceived  if  it  will  not  be  an- 
swered from  the  sea." 

Scarcely  had  the  words  fallen  from  his  lips,  when  afar 
out  upon  the  heaving  sea  a  beautiful  red  light  ascended 
slowly  for  a  short  time  and  then  hung  motionless  in  the 
air.  It  could  with  difficulty  be  distinguished  from  a  star, 
except  that  it  was  more  red  and  rose  and  fell  with  the 
swelling  waves.  Again  another  rocket  hurtled  through 


LILY     WHITE.  261 

the  air,  for  a  moment  illuminating  the  mountains,  and 
then,  high  above  their  lofty  summits,  darting  in  many  a 
zigzag  line,  faded  from  the  sky. 

"There!"  said  Eugene  Saunders,  " the  signal  is  an- 
swered, and,  doubtless,  by  this  time  the  vessel  is  strik- 
ing for  the  shore." 

******* 

While  we  leave  Eugene's  party  advancing  to  the  rescue 
of  Simonetta,  let  us  follow  Bernardo  to  the  Pirates' 
Cave.  But  how  shall  we  attempt  to  describe  that  awful 
cavern  ?  In  what  language  shall  we  portray  the  feelings 
of  that  unfortunate  girl,  who  had  seen  her  mother  cruelly 
murdered  before  her  eyes,  when  she  found  herself  com- 
pletely in  the  power  of  Bernardo,  and  surrounded  by  a 
wild  and  ferocious  band  of  pirates  who  respected  neither 
the  laws  of  man  nor  feared  those  of  God  ? 

The  entrance  to  the  cavern  was  beneath  a  huge  and 
jutting  mass  of  irregular  rock,  and  was  just  of  sufficient 
size  for  one  man  to  enter  at  a  time.  Unless  by  accident, 
no  one  would  ever  suppose  that  an  entrance  could  here 
be  found  to  the  subterranean  depths  of  the  mountain. 

Within  this  dismal  den  a  large  lamp  hung  suspended 
from  the  arch,  and  over  the  whole  scene  cast  an  un- 
earthly gleam.  Far  in  the  interior  a  fire  blazed,  seated 
around  which  were  some  dozen  or  more  men,  clad  in 
sailors'  jackets,  and  armed  with  long,  keen  daggers.  An 
awful,  grinning  skull  and  two  cross-bones  were  fastened 
to  the  walls.  These  were  the  fearful,  fatal  insignia  of 
Alberto,  and  their  image  fluttered  wildly  in  many  a 
driving  blast  not  only  on  the  Adriatic  but  on  the  blue 
bosom  of  the  Mediterranean. 

From  the  dull,  gray  walls,  also  hung  cutlasses,  swords, 
22* 


262  LILY    WHITE. 

pikes,  knives  of  every  form,  pistols,  and  heavy  guns. 
Scattered  here  and  there  were  boxes  and  bales,  contain- 
ing the  plunder  that  had  fallen  into  the  hands  of  this 
fierce  gang,  and  which  had  been  deposited  in  this  cave 
as  a  place  of  safety,  into  which  they  thought  no  one  pos- 
sessed the  hardihood  to  venture.  The  nickering  fire- 
light falling  faintly  upon  the  harsh  features  of  those 
pirates  presented  a  scene  of  horror  upon  which  even  the 
bravest  could  not  look  without  feeling  the  blood  creep 
back  upon  the  heart. 

Their  eyes  flashed  with  passion,  and  their  coarse  fea- 
tures, distorted  by  crime,  told  plainly  that  no  sympathy 
dwelt  in  their  bosoms,  and  that  the  cry  for  mercy  fell 
unheeded  upon  their  ears.  They  were  indulging  freely 
in  the  use  of  ardent  spirits,  which  they  drank  from 
flasks,  and  frequently  replenished  from  a  large  cask. 

"Here,"  said  one,  raising  the  sparkling  flagon  to  his 
lips,  "is  to  the  health  of  our  darling  Isabelle !  May 
she  ever  ride  the  billows  like  a  sea-gull,  and  may  her 
bright  keel  ever  cleave  the  waters,  whether  in  facing  the 
storm,  in  meeting  the  enemy,  or  in  fleeing  from  the 
foe !" 

"Hurrah!  hurrah!  for  the  mistress  of  the  deep!" 
shouted  many  voices  in  concert. 

"Here,"  said  another,  "is  to  the  free  rovers  of  the 
sea  !  May  our  banner  ever  send  terror  to  the  hearts  of 
those  who  dare  give  us  opposition!" 

"Hurrah!  hurrah!  for  the  free  rovers  of  the  sea!" 
again  echoed  the  voices  of  that  lawless  band. 

"You  may  toast  as  much  as  you  please,"  said  a  dark- 
visaged  man,  whose  head  was  sprinkled  with  white,  "but 
I  like  not  this  night's  work.  That  priest's  visit  bodes 


LILY     WHITE.  263 

us  no  good.  I  cannot,  messmates,  tell  you  why  it  is, 
but  something  whispers  me  that  our  gallant  ship  will 
never  again  spread  her  sails  to  the  breeze." 

"  By  the  beard  of  Mufti,  Roberto,  you  are  as  drunk 
as  hell,  or  else  you  have  turned  granny,  and  we  must 
vote  you  unfit  to  carry  a  sword  or  to  reef  a  sail !  What 
dreams  did  you  have  last  night?" 

"Messmates,"  said  Roberto,  "you  need  not  jest  with 
me.  For  twenty-five  years  my  home  has  been  upon  the 
sea,  and  during  that  time  I  have  seen  as  much  blood 
spilled  as  would  float  our  Isabelle.  Who  ever  knew 
Roberto  to  flinch  when  danger  came  ?  At  midnight  I 
have  stood  upon  the  quivering  masts,  when  the  light- 
nings flashed,  the  thunders  rolled,  the  winds  raved,  and 
the  billows  reared  in  wrath !  I  have  stood  upon  the 
deck  amid  the  fiercest  conflicts,  when  human  blood 
flowed  in  streams  beneath  my  feet;  and  let  the  man 
show  himself  who  dares  deny  that  Roberto's  sword 
added  to  that  crimson  tide.  Hand  to  hand  I  have  met 
the  foe  on  the  land  and  on  the  sea.  But,  messmates, 
last  night  I  had  a  dream.  I  thought  that  we  were  off 
the  coast  of  Dalmatia,  and  that,  beneath  a  bright  and 
silvery  moon,  our  noble  little  queen  dashed  the  sparkling 
foam-bells  from  her  prow  and  sped  thither  on  her  course. 
Twelve  bells  had  sounded,  when  a  cry  of  horror  broke 
the  stillness  of  the  night.  I  have  heard  many  a  death- 
scream,  and  have  listened  to  the  roar  of  many  a  cannon ; 
but  nothing  before  ever  fell  upon  my  ear  so  loud,  so 
shrill,  so  piercing,  as  that  midnight  wail !  It  was  not 
repeated,  messmates ;  there  was  no  need  of  it ;  for  ere 
it  died  away  every  man  of  us  was  upon  our  feet,  and,  lo  ! 
alongside  of  our  vessel  floated  the  dreadful  'phantom 


264  LI  L  Y     WHITE. 

ship  !'  In  an  instant  our  Isabelle  was  wrapped  in  flames, 
when,  what  was  wonderful,  from  the  smoke  and  fire 
issued  a  hideous  form  that  seemed  blighted  by  the  hand 
of  God,  if  there  is  such  a  being.  We  fled  into  the  sea; 
but  instead  of  water  we  found  only  blood  !  The  moon 
was  extinguished,  and  the  stars  had  faded  from  the  sky ! 
I  awoke;  cold  drops  of  sweat  were  standing  on  my 
brow !" 

"  Roberto,  said  one,  "  if  I  did  not  know  you  I  would 
say  that  you  are  mad.  But  I  myself  like  not  this  affair. 
Wherever  there  is  a  woman  you  may  look  out  for  squalls. 
Nevertheless,  blow  me,  messmates,  but  she  is  a  pretty 
lass,  even  in  her  tears.  Whether  it  be  priest  or  pirate, 
it  is  a  bold  game  !" 

"  Some  heart-sick  lover,"  said  another,  "  when  he 
finds  his  sweetheart  gone,  will  bellow  forth  his  grief  to 
the  moon." 

Thus  did  those  bold  men  pass  the  time,  in  jesting, 
drinking,  singing  coarse  and  vulgar  songs,  and  in  rend- 
ing the  air  with  bitter,  burning  oaths. 

In  a  small  room,  formed  in  the  solid  rock,  were  seated 
Alberto  the  pirate  and  Bernardo  the  priest.  A  silver 
lamp  furnished  them  with  light.  With  a  smile  of  tri- 
umph on  his  lip,  Bernardo  was  counting  down  the  coin 
that  purchased  this  new  act  of  villainy. 

"There!"  said  he,  as  the  last  glittering  piece  fell 
tinkling  upon  the  pirate's  table,  "  she  is  now  mine ! 
Let  the  Roman  Church  go  to  hell  with  its  gigantic  fol- 
lies !  Congratulate  me,  Alberto,  that  I  will  soon  be 
reveling  in  that  paradise  for  which  my  soul  has  so  often 
burned.  Bernardo  wants  no  other  heaven  than  that 
which  now  is  his.  My  heart  is  overjoyed.  Beneath 


LILY     WHITE.  265 

the  deep  blue  sky  of  Ceylon,  and  amid  its  olive-groves, 
I  will  teach  my  little  antelope  that  the  lion's  paw  is  as 
soft  as  velvet,  when  the  fangs  are  hid  by  love.  In  the 
warmth  and  ardor  of  my  affections  she  will  bloom  for- 
ever a  lovely  and  beautiful  flower.  For  every  tear  she 
has  shed  I  will  cause  a  smile ;  every  harsh  word  that  I 
have  spoken  I  will  repay  with  accents  of  love ;  upon  her 
snowy  bosom  I  will  pillow  my  head,  and  lose  my  soul  in 
a  bliss  compared  with  which  heaven  is  hell !  I  will  live 
a  new  life,  which  not  even  a  sigh  shall  disturb,  which  not 
even  a  sorrow  shall  dim.  My  table  shall  groan  with 
delicacies,  with  spices, — 


•  such  as  scent 


The  sea-air  for  a  thousand  leagues  ; 

Incense  of  gums  of  Afric,  sweeter  than  the 

Lip  of  Cupid,  moist  with  Cythaerea's  kiss, 

Or  Hebe's,  sprinkled  by  the  cup  of  Jove ; 

Fruits  from  all  climes,  within  the  signs  that 

Bound  the  sun's  march,  ripening  on  their  branches,  brought 

In  vessels  moulded  of  transparent  earth." 

Amid  flowers  and  fountains,  the  bright  and  the  beau- 
tiful, the  rich  low  melody  of  bees,  and  the  soft  music 
of  lutes,  we  will  spend  our  days.  Her  couch  shall  be 
of  roses,  and  I  her  guardian  angel !  I  will  envy  the 
star  that  kisses  her  brow  with  its  gentle  beam,  and  will 
be  jealous  of  the  zephyrs  that  shall  sport  amid  her  glossy 
tresses.  My  present  bliss,  Alberto,  drowns  the  agony 
of  suspense,  hushes  the  cryings  of  conscience,  banishes 
the  spectres  that  haunt  me,  and  brightens  the  gloom  of 
the  past.  How  long  ere  we  shall  be  upon  the  vessel 
that  is  to  wing  us  to  that  home  of  which  I  have  been 
speaking?" 


266  LILY     WHITE. 

When  Bernardo  finished  his  frame  towered  to  its  full 
height,  his  breast  swelled,  and  his  cheeks  glowed  with 
passionate  love. 

"In  an  hour,"  said  the  pirate,  "we  can  be  upon  the 
wave ;  but,  Bernardo,  have  you  forgotten  that  I  am  to 
wed  you  ere  we  sail  ?  Doff  that  robe  and  clothe  your- 
self as  becomes  a  happy  bridegroom." 

Alberto  touched  a  silver  bell,  and  a  page,  gaily  clad, 
entered  and  awaited  the  commands  of  his  captain. 

"Boy,"  said  he,  "tell  Roberto  it  is  my  order  that  he 
shall  send  a  rocket  from  the  mountain-top  toward  the 
sky ;  and  hark  ye,  lad,  tell  him  to  await  until  the  proper 
signal  is  answered  from  the  sea." 

The  page  bowed  and  left  the  room.  When  he  had 
delivered  the  captain's  order,  and  Roberto  arose  to 
depart,  one  of  his  companions  said, — 

"  If  you  see  a  goat,  Roberto,  do  not  mistake  it  for  a 
ghost ;  or  if  you  should  hear  an  owl,  do  not  give  a  false 
alarm." 

While  Bernardo  was  preparing  himself  to  greet  his 
bride,  Alberto  was  busy  in  the  erection  of  an  altar  in 
the  entrance  of  the  cavern.  It  was  made  by  bringing 
together  several  of  the  boxes  that  lay  about  the  walls, 
and  placing  them  one  upon  another.  Over  these  was 
thrown  a  velvet  covering.  In  absence  of  the  Koran  or 
the  Bible,  Alberto  laid  upon  the  altar  the  skull  and 
cross-bones,  together  with  his  naked  sword.  This  fatal 
altar,  before  which  the  good  and  noble  Simonetta  was  to 
stand,  and  in  a  mock  marriage  be  united  to  Bernardo, 
was  erected  beneath  the  dull  and  flickering  lamp  that 
hung  in  the  centre  of  the  cave.  Its  dim,  uncertain 
light,  falling  upon  this  scene  of  mockery,  gave  to  every- 


LILY     WHITE.  267 

thing  around  a  solemn  and  unearthly  shade.  Alberto, 
with  his  heavy  beard,  and  pistols  in  his  belt;  the  sailors, 
with  their  savage  brows,  begrimmed  with  smoke  and 
flushed  with  wine ;  the  human  skull  and  whitened  bones ; 
the  drawn  sword  and  dimly-burning  lamp,  made  it  a 
scene  fearful  to  behold  ! 

"Well,  my  happy  bridegroom!"  said  Alberto,  after 
all  his  arrangements  had  been  made,  "  are  you  ready 
for  the  leap  ?  If  so,  let  us  hasten,  for  Roberto  brings 
the  news  that  my  Isabelle  has  raised  her  anchor  and  is 

bearing  for  the  shore.     Help  me  on  with  this  d d 

black  robe  of  yours,  and  I  will  show  you  a  priest  who 
is  every  inch  a  man.  I  will  let  your  antelope  see  how 
nicely  I  can  unite  you  in  the  holy  bonds  of  wedlock. 
Well,  Bernardo,  after  all,  there  is  but  little  difference 
between  a  pirate  and  a  priest.  The  priest,  clad  in  the 
robes  of  the  Church,  and  sanctioned  by  the  authority  of 
the  State,  robs  with  a  tear  in  his  eye  and  a  prayer  on 
his  lip  ;  but  the  bold  pirate  unfurls  his  bloody  banner  to 
the  breeze,  and,  waving  it  aloft,  goes  forth  on  the  high 
seas  and  does  his  work  with  a  gleam  of  vengeance  in  his 
eye,  a  dagger  in  his  hand,  and  a  curse  on  his  lip.  The 
victim  of  the  priest  never  knows  that  danger  is  near 
until  he  finds  himself  a  hungry  beggar,  or  is  lodged  in  a 
dismal  dungeon ;  but  whoever  beholds  the  waving  banner 
of  the  pirate,  knows  that  wherever  it  streams  danger  and 
death  are  near.  The  priest  goes  about,  with  downcast 
eyes  and  long-drawn  sighs,  seeking  whom  he  may  devour ; 
the  pirate,  thank  God  !  looks  every  man,  be  he  friend  or 
foe,  full  in  the  face,  and  with  a  light  heart  sings  to  the 
stars,  as  he  glides  on  the  heaving  sea,  beneath  their 
gentle  beams.  How  do  you  like  the  two,  Bernardo  ? 


268  LILY     WHITE. 

will  you  not  turn  pirate  ?  But  come,  I  know  you  are  in 
no  humor  to  argue  the  case  with  me,  and  I  am  in  a 
hurry,  for  I  feel  devilish  mean  in  this  cursed  mourning- 
gown  of  yours !" 

Arm  in  arm  they  sought  Simonetta's  room,  which  was 
similar  to  the  one  from  which  they  had  just  issued.  Her 
long  black  hair  hung  in  disheveled  masses  about  her 
shoulders,  and  swept  the  ground  as  she  knelt  before  a 
rude  image  of  the  Holy  Virgin,  which  by  chance  had 
found  entrance  there.  The  rosy  hues  of  health  had 
faded  from  her  cheeks,  and  a  death-like  palor  had 
gathered  on  her  brow.  So  pale  and  lovely  was  she 
now,  that  indeed  she  seemed  a  spirit  from  that  distant 
world  that  lies  beyond  the  tomb. 

"My  daughter,"  said  Alberto,  in  the  canting  tone  of 
the  cunning  priesthood,  "  I  am  glad  to  find  you  kneel- 
ing at  your  prayers ;  for  let  me  tell  you  that  nothing  is 
more  proper  and  becoming  than  to  approach  the  matri- 
monial altar  with  the  mind  and  heart  softened  and  sub- 
dued by  communings  with  the  saints.  But,  my  pretty 
lass,  arise ;  I  have  a  duty  to  perform." 

"Oh!  spare  me,  spare  me!"  cried  the  unfortunate 
girl ;  "  you  murdered  my  mother,  and  even  that  I  can 
bear ;  but  to  be  forced  to  marry  against  my  will  and 
against  my  love  is  more  than  I  can  stand.  Pity  me," 
said  she,  throwing  herself  at  Bernardo's  feet;  "  pity  me, 
I  pray.  Do  not  force  me  to  a  union  with  you,  when 
it  will  bring  only  pain  and  shame.  Seek  some  other 
maiden,  whose  love  for  you  will  be  as  ardent  as  that 
which  you  waste  on  me." 

Bernardo  could  no  longer  restrain  his  glowing  feel- 
ings, but  seizing  the  trembling,  kneeling  girl,  he  caught 


LILY     WHITE.  269 

her  to  his  bosom  and  covered  her  cheek  and  brow  with 
many  a  burning  kiss. 

"Hold!  hold!  Bernardo,"  said  the  pirate,  checking 
the  fiery  priest ;  "  you  forget  that  it  is  not  lawful  for  you 
to  taste  that  bliss  until  you  have  paid  the  marriage  fee ! 
Come,  curb  your  ardor  and  treasure  your  kisses  until  I, 
your  priest,  give  you  leave  to  revel  in  those  joys.  Come 
forth,  I  say,  with  your  lovely  bride  to  the  holy  altar, 
and  I  will  make  you  one  !" 

Bernardo,  taking  Simonetta  by  the  hand,  led  her  forth, 
to  face  that  gloomy  altar,  with  its  skull,  and  bones,  and 
sword.  Alberto  stood  opposite  to  Bernardo  and  his  un- 
willing bride,  while  his  men,  through  curiosity,  arranged 
themselves  in  a  group  behind  their  commander.  Among 
them  was  Roberto,  the  narrator  of  the  dream.  Now 
that  resistance  was  in  vain,  and  her  fate  was  about  to  be 
sealed  forever,  Simonetta  stood  firm  as  a  beautiful  sta- 
tue fresh  from  the  sculptor's  hand.  Her  eye  had  in  it 
a  dim  and  dreamy  lustre,  as  if  she  was  reading  the  far- 
away events  of  the  future.  She  heeded  not  the  grin- 
ning skull  and  naked  sword ;  she  heeded  not  the  priest 
with  his  dark  and  flowing  robe.  From  her  impending 
fate  she  shrunk  not,  but  her  form  was  erect  and  grace- 
ful as  in  bygone  days. 

At  length  Alberto  said, — 

"Be  it  known  to  all  present,  that  it  is  my  will  that 
this  couple,  who  now  stand  before  this  altar,  are  here  to 
be  made  bone  of  one  bone  and  flesh  of  one  flesh.  If 
any  there  be  who  know  of  any  just  cause  why  they 
should  not  become  man  and  wife,  by  this  skull,  and  by 
these  bones,  and  by  this  naked  sword,  I  command  him 
23 


270  LILY     WHITE. 

or  them  to  speak,  or  forever  hereafter  to  hold  their 
peace." 

"  In  the  name  of  the  only  true  God,  I  come  to  offer 
my  objections,"  said  a  deep,  sepulchral  voice. 

"  The  dream  !  the  dream  !  Roberto's  dream  !"  said 
Alberto's  men,  flying  through  fear  into  the  darkness  of 
the  cave.  Alberto  turned  his  eye  in  the  direction 
whence  the  unearthly  voice  came,  and  in  the  shadow  of 
a  projecting  rock  stood  motionless  a  form  that  caused 
even  that  daring  pirate  to  fly  in  terror.  In  an  instant 
more,  Bernardo  lay  stretched  upon  the  earth,  and  Si- 
monetta  was  clasped  in  the  strong  and  giant  grasp  of 
Uglino,  the  dwarf,  who  bore  her  in  triumph  to  the  open 
air.  Alberto  soon  recovered  from  his  fright,  and  when 
his  men  heard  his  clarion  voice,  commanding  them  to 
arm  themselves  and  hasten  to  the  rescue,  instinctively 
they  caught  their  weapons  from  the  walls  and  followed 
their  commander  to  the  entrance  of  the  cave.  Like  a 
mighty  tide  they  rushed  along,  muttering  curses  of  ven- 
geance against  the  foe. 

Some  bore  torches,  which  they  waved  in  wrath  above 
their  heads.  Sabres  flashed  and  cold  steel  glittered  in 
the  light.  They  paused  not  at  the  entrance,  but  rushed 
in  one  stern  and  solid  phalanx  into  the  open  air. 

The  clear,  silvery  voice  of  Leopold  Haldenberg  rang 
out  upon  the  still  night — 

"Fire,  men,  and  at  them  with  your  swords  !" 

A  bright  and  vivid  flame  ran  along  the  Austrian  line, 
and  when  the  deafening  roar  died  away  many  a  dismal 
groan  and  many  a  bitter  curse  was  heard. 

Now  the  battle  was  hand  to  hand.     Steel  met  steel, 


LILY     WHITE.  271 

and  the   clang  of  arms  in  deadly  combat   awoke  the 
silent  hills. 

"Then  more  fierce 

The  conflict  grew ;  the  din  of  arms,  the  yell 

Of  savage  rage,  the  shriek  of  agony, 

The  groan  of  death,  commingled  in  one  sound 

Of  undistinguished  horrors." 

Where  the  tide  of  battle  raged  the  fiercest,  there  was 
Eugene  Saunders.  Hand  to  hand  he  met  the  foe. 
More  than  one  fell  beneath  his  well-aimed  blows. 
Fighting  thus — every  man  for  himself — Eugene,  in  pur- 
suing an  enemy,  was  suddenly  confronted  by  Alberto. 
With  a  savage  growl,  like  that  of  an  angry  tiger,  the 
pirate  rushed  upon  him.  With  a  masterly  hand  Eu- 
gene parried  his  blows,  and,  watching  an  opportunity, 
by  a  dexterous  movement  disarmed  his  foe.  Eugene 
struck  him  over  the  head  with  his  heavy  sword  and  Al- 
berto bit  the  dust.  From  his  dress,  Eugene  knew  that 
he  was  the  leader  of  the  gang,  and  determined  to  secure 
him  as  a  prize.  Taking  out  his  handkerchief  he  tied 
Alberto's  hands,  and  an  Austrian  soldier  passing  by, 
Eugene  gave  the  pirate  into  his  charge,  with  strict  in- 
junctions not  to  let  him  escape. 

"If  he  does,"  said  the  soldier,  "he  will  go  without  a 
head." 

Castruccio  fought  long  and  well,  and  his  goary  blade 
bore  token  of  good  work.  The  battle  was  over  and  the 
victory  gained.  Only  two  of  the  pirates  were  captured, 
Alberto  and  Roberto ;  the  rest  were  either  slain  or  had 
fled  into  the  mountains. 

"Where  is  that  craven  priest,  Bernardo?"  asked 
Leopold. 

No  one  had  seen  him.     The  torches,  now  almost  ex- 


272  LILY     WHITE. 

tinguished,  were  rekindled,  and  Leopold,  Castruccio,  and 
Eugene  went  into  the  cave  to  search  for  the  priest. 
They  examined  every  nook  and  corner,  but  nowhere 
could  he  be  found.  Eugene  was  in  pursuit  of  him  when 
met  by  Alberto.  Bernardo  had  escaped.  Several  of  the 
Austrian  soldiers  were  severely  wounded,  and  two  had 
been  killed.  These  were  placed  upon  litters  constructed 
upon  the  ground,  and  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  the 
other  men.  Leopold,  having  left  a  strong  and  active 
guard  to  watch  the  cave,  and  having  firmly  bound  the 
pirates,  gave  orders  to  return  to  the  city. 

Simonetta,  who  had  been  by  TJglino  conducted  apart, 
during  the  affray,  to  prevent  any  accident,  was  most 
tenderly  borne  along.  They  had  not  proceeded  far, 
when  a  bright  flame  flashed  forth  upon  the  sea,  illumi- 
nating earth  and  heaven. 

"My  dream  has  proved  true,"  sullenly  growled  Ro- 
berto; "the  Isabelle  is  on  fire." 

Sure  enough  she  was;  and  there  she  lay  upon  the 
waves,  a  mass  of  vivid  flames. 

"I  bless  the  hand,"  said  Alberto,  "that  touched  the 
match.  It  is  well  that  she  should  burn,  when  her  mas- 
ter's hands  are  bound." 

Now  the  flames  had  reached  the  sails,  and  so  brilliant 
were  they  that  for  miles  away  the  sea  had  a  glow  like 
that  of  blood.  Boom !  boom  I  boom !  came  the  roar 
of  cannon ;  and  in  an  instant  was  heard  a  crash  like  a 
mighty  earthquake,  and  the  Isabelle,  the  Queen  of  the 
Sea,  was  blown  into  the  air,  while  ten  thousand  blazing 
fragments  fell  hissing  into  the  waves;  and  again  "  dark- 
ness was  upon  the  deep." 

Roberto's  dream  came  true ! 


LILY     WHITE.  273 


CHAPTER  XXII. 

Love  is  life's  end, — an  end,  but  never  ending : 

All  joys,  all  sweets,  all  happiness  awarding; 

Love  is  life's  wealth,  (ne'er  spent,  but  ever  spending;) 

More  rich  by  giving,  taking  by  discarding ; 

Love's  life's  reward, — rewarding  in  rewarding ; 

Then  from  thy  wretched  heart  fond  care  remove ; 

Ah  !  shouldst  thou  live  but  once  love's  sweets  to  prove, 

Thou  wilt  not  love  to  live,  unless  thou  live  to  love. 

SPENCER'S  BRITAIN'S  IDA. 

IF  joys  never  came  to  relieve  our  sorrows  and  brighten 
our  life-journey,  existence  could  scarcely  be  borne.  But 
amid  our  darkest  hours,  when  the  heart  is  clad  in  gloom, 
hope  draws  near,  and  revives  the  drooping  spirits  and 
cheers  us  on  our  way. 

There  are  times  in  the  history  of  every  man  and  wo- 
man, whether  high  or  low,  when  afflictions  and  misfor- 
tunes wrap  the  soul  in  sadness,  hush  the  merry  laugh 
and  dim  the  sparkling  eye.  Perhaps  some  young  and 
gentle  mother  has  bent  in  tears  over  her  first-born 
darling  boy,  and  has  listened  with  an  almost  broken 
heart  to  his  last  dying  groans.  But  though  her  heart's 
idol  had  gone — gone  like  a  beautiful  flower,  gone  like  a 
lovely  sunbeam,  yet  even  she  has  a  consolation  left. 
His  sweet,  merry  voice,  his  wild,  ringing  laugh,  his 
beaming,  sparkling  eyes,  his  light  footsteps  and  pleasant 
ways,  will  ever  be  remembered  by  that  doating  mother 
with  delight  and  true  affection !  She  knows  that  he  is 
a  beautiful  angel  now,  and  that  his  spirit  is  radiant  with 
23* 


274  LILY     WHITE. 

glory  and  floats  in  light  and  loveliness.  She  clothed 
him  in  silken  flannels,  placed  him  in  a  little  coffin  lined 
with  white  satin  and  trimmed  with  black  ribbon,  and 
buried  him  in  her  garden  amid  the  birds  and  the  flowers. 
A  fine  rose-bush — his  favorite — marks  the  head  of  his 
tiny  grave,  and  in  the  bright  and  joyous  spring-time  it 
will  cast  its  blossoms  and  shed  its  fragrance  over  that 
little  "mountain-peak  of  a  new  and  distant  world."  It 
will  be  a  pleasure  to  that  fond,  young  mother,  when  the 
spring  comes,  and  the  grass  is  green,  and  the  birds  sing, 
and  the  sunbeams  are  soft  and  loving,  to  deck  his  grave 
with  the  sweetest  flowers  and  to  water  them  with  her 
freshest  tears.  She  knows  that  with  him,  "all  will  be 
right  in  the  morning." 

Thus  amid  our  gloomiest  hours  and  saddest  bereave- 
ments some  pleasure  lingers  still,  and  hope,  like  a  beau- 
tiful angel,  bids  us  look  aloft.  Sorrows  chasten  the 
heart,  soften  the  affections,  and  open  a  sympathy  with 
every  living  thing.  From  the  dark  and  angry  storm- 
clouds  descend  the  showers  that  refresh  and  invigorate 
the  parching  fields,  that  cause  the  drooping  harvests  to 
grow  green  in  the  warm  sunshine,  and  that  make  the 
little  flowers  lift  their  heads  in  joy. 

We  have  seen  how  poor  Lily  suffered,  and  the  dan- 
gers through  which  Simonetta  passed.  Let  us  now,  for 
awhile,  draw  the  curtain  over  those  dark  scenes  of  strife 
and  intrigue,  and  turn  to  those  with  which  every  human 
being  has  a  common  sympathy.  Let  us,  for  a  time,  for- 
get the  dreary  dungeon,  with  its  horrid  machines  of  tor- 
ture; the  pirates' cave,  with  its  skull  and  fatal  altar;  the 
pale  countenance  and  dark  frown  of  Bernardo,  and  linger 
amid  a  scene  of  love,  hope,  and  bliss. 


LILY     WHITE.  275 

On  the  morning  after  the  events  detailed  in  the  last 
chapter,  Simonetta  Pitti  lay  upon  her  couch  in  the  mag- 
nificent and  sumptuous  palace  of  Castruccio  Castracini. 
The  room  in  which  the  maiden  lay  was  one  of  the  most 
splendid  in  the  palace,  and  was  adorned  with  every 
beauty  that  art  could  furnish  or  good  taste  supply.  A 
dim,  dreamy  splendor,  that  cannot  be  described,  brooded 
there.  From  the  walls  hung  paintings  of  master-spirits ; 
and  the  light,  stealing  softly  through  embroidered  pink 
curtains,  cast  over  the  whole  scene  a  rich  mellow  glow 
that  heightened  the  effect  and  made  those  pictures  seem 
ready  to  start  into  real  life.  Upon  a  soft  and  downy 
couch,  hung  round  with  flowing  curtains,  reposed  Simon- 
etta, as  if  in  a  trance.  Her  cheeks  were  pale  as  death ; 
her  long,  dark,  silken  tresses  fell  in  beauteous  showers 
over  her  pillow,  and  her  breathing  was  like  that  of  one 
in  a  sweet  and  refreshing  slumber. 

From  the  time  Uglino  grasped  her  in  his  manly  arms, 
in  the  pirates'  gloomy  cave,  she  had  never  uttered  a 
groan,  nor  had  she  spoken  a  word.  Sometimes  she 
heaved  a  deep-drawn  sigh,  that  told  of  her  mighty  heart- 
struggle,  and  of  all  that  she  had  suffered  in  that  awful 
place.  So  still  and  silent  did  she  rest  that  one  might 
have  supposed  at  the  first  glance  that  her  spirit  had 
winged  its  flight  beyond  the  trembling  stars. 

Beside  her  couch  sat  Lily  White,  her  beautiful  fea- 
tures now  touched  with  an  expression  of  sadness,  and 
her  eyes  softened  by  a  feeling  of  sympathy.  Her  hand 
held  that  of  the  Italian  maiden,  and  occasionally  ske 
would  stroke  it  gently,  with  the  hope  of  sending  the 
blood  in  a  more  healthful  tide  to  the  lovely  patient's 
heart.  Lily  had  heard  from  Eugene's  lips  of  Simon- 


276  LILY     WHITE. 

etta's  kindness  and  friendship  toward  him,  and  straight- 
way in  her  bosom  rose  up  and  nourished  those  soft  and 
gentle  feelings  that  find  a  home  nowhere  save  in  a 
woman's  heart.  It  mattered  not  with  Lily  that  this 
stricken  maiden  was  born  beneath  the  warm  and  sunny 
skies  of  Italy,  and  spoke  a  language  different  from  her 
own :  a  common  link  had  united  their  souls,  and  suffer- 
ing had  made  their  lives  alike.  Lily's  mother  slept  her 
last  long  sleep  beneath  the  rich  loam  of  a  far-distant 
land,  and  Simonetta's  mother  was  now  cold  and  stiff  in 
death.  Lily  had  been  imprisoned  by  her  guardian's 
will  in  gloomy  convent  walls,  and  Simonetta,  by*  the 
cruel  Bernardo,  had  been  borne  to  the  pirates'  dismal 
cave.  The  same  kind  hands  and  noble  hearts  that  had 
rescued  the  one  had  also  rescued  the  other.  They  were 
now  both  orphan  girls,  and  this  drew  Lily  toward  Simon- 
etta more  than  any  other  thought. 

Sometimes,  when  we  behold  this  great  struggle  of  life ; 
when  we  see  man  giving  way  to  passions  that  mar  the 
joys  of  friends  and  home;  when  we  witness  the  bigotry, 
deceit,  and  selfishness  of  human  nature ;  when  we  view 
the  restlessness  and  discontent  of  mankind ;  when  we 
know  that  misery,  woe,  and  death  are  everywhere  about 
us,  from  the  fullness  of  our  souls  we  are  almost  ready  to 
exclaim,  with  Burns, — 

"  That  man  was  made  to  mourn." 

But,  on  the  contrary,  when  we  see  the  eye  beaming 
with  sympathy ;  when  we  feel  the  strong  grasp  of  the 
hand  of  true  friends ;  and  when  we  witness  exhibitions  of 
kindness  such  as  have  characterized  the  actions  of  Si- 


LILY     WHITE.  277 

monetta,  Uglino,  and  Lily  "White,  we  feel  disposed  to 
contest  the  ground  with  the  great  Scottish  bard. 

\Yhile  Lily  was  thus  seated  by  the  bedside  of  Simon- 
etta,  Fanny  Lanier  and  Rosetta,  arm  in  arm,  on  tip-toe 
entered  the  apartment. 

"  How  does  she  seem  now,  sister  Lily?"  asked  Fanny. 

"  Hush !  speak  low,  Fanny ;  you  know  the  doctor 
said  that  Simonetta  must  not  be  disturbed.  I  think  she 
is  better :  her  breathing  is  more  natural,  and  the  color 
is  stealing  by  degrees  to  her  cheeks." 

"  Oh  !  said  the  enthusiastic  Rosetta,  forgetting  Lily's 
caution,  "  is  she  not  beautiful !  No  wonder  that  Sig- 
nore  Haldenberg  came  near  going  mad  this  morning, 
after  breakfast,  when  informed  that  she  was  no  better. 
Fanny,  would  you  mind  being  found  in  a  cave,"  con- 
tinued Rosetta,  with  an  arch  smile  playing  on  her  face, 
"  if  some  nice  young  man  would  come  to  your  rescue, 
and  then,  when  you  fainted,  should  weep  for  you  as  if 
you  were  a  child?" 

"Ah!  Rosetta,"  said  Fanny,  in  a  whisper,  "there  is 
no  such  good  luck  for  us.  I  do  not  know  the  reason,  do 
you  ?  I  am  certain  we  are  as  handsome  as  sister  Lily  or 
Simonetta.  Suppose,  the  next  time  we  go  out  upon  the 
canal  in  company  with  a  young  man,  that  one  of  us  shall 
tumble  overboard,  and  let  him  pick  us  up,  half  drowned." 
Fanny  looked  at  Lily  with  a  meaning  smile. 

"Never,"  said  Rosetta,  "will  I  go  thus  far,  because 
I  know  the  cowardly  fellow  would  let  me  drown  rather 
than  soil  his  clothes." 

Thus  did  these  maidens  talk  and  jest. 

Leopold  Haldenberg,  in  company  with  Eugene,  Cas- 
truccio,  Uglino,  and  some  of  his  chosen  men,  returned 


278  LILY     WHITE. 

the  next  morning  to  the  scene  of  the  last  night's  battle, 
in  order  to  examine  more  carefully  Alberto's  den  and 
to  divide  the  spoils  among  his  soldiers. 

Alberto  and  Roberto  had  been  safely  lodged  in  prison 
to  await  their  trial,  and  to  receive  the  sentence  that  was 
certain  to  be  pronounced  against  them. 

When  the  news  of  the  previous  night's  adventure  and 
its  results  were  spread  abroad,  great  indignation  pre- 
vailed against  Bernardo  ;  and  many  flocked  to  the  prison 
in  hopes  of  beholding  the  man  whose  daring  deeds  had 
so  long  spread  a  terror  among  the  trading  vessels  bound 
with  rich  and  precious  cargoes  to  the  islands  of  the  sea. 
Many  demanded  his  immediate  execution.  Words  of 
the  highest  praise  and  warmest  commendation  were 
heaped  upon  Leopold  Haldenberg  for  his  rescue  of  the 
maiden  and  capture  of  the  pirate.  Every  lady  in  Ve- 
nice, through  a  very  natural  curiosity,  desired  to  see  the 
young  lady  who  had  passed  through  such  dangers  and 
sufferings.  Simonetta's  mother  was  buried  with  all  the 
honors  that  were  due  her  position  in  life. 

Every  day  Leopold  Haldenberg  called  to  inquire  con- 
cerning the  health  of  Simonetta  Pitti.  Eugene  Saun- 
ders,  too,  was  a  frequent  visitor ;  and  Uglino,  also,  came. 
Day  by  day  Lily  White  lingered  near  the  couch  of  the 
pale  Italian ;  and  day  by  day  the  ties  of  friendship  grew 
stronger  between  those  fair  young  creatures.  With  sis- 
terly tenderness  Lily  ministered  to  all  her  wants,  and 
never  became  weary  in  her  attentions.  Fanny  and 
Rosetta,  too,  were  kind,  and  Castruccio  spared  neither 
pains  nor  expense  in  order  to  make  them  all  happy  and 
contented  while  beneath  his  roof.  He  was  one  of  those 
kind-hearted  men  who  was  fond  of  company,  espe- 


LILY     WHITE.  279 

cially  such  as  was  suitable  for  his  daughter.  Several 
years  previous  to  the  events  which  we  are  now  relating, 
he  had  lost  his  wife,  and  in  Rosetta  were  now  centered 
all  his  hopes  and  happiness.  To  see  her  smile  was  his 
delight,  to  see  a  cloud  gather  upon  her  brow  cast  a 
shadow  over  his  own. 

One  beautiful  evening  Lily  White  and  Simonetta  were 
alone.  The  sunbeams  glanced  softly  through  the  tall 
windows  and  through  the  crimson  curtains,  and  bathed 
the  whole  apartment  in  a  flood  of  mellow  light.  Lily 
had  just  finished  braiding  the  fair  patient's  long  black 
hair,  when  Simonetta,  bursting  into  tears,  said, — 

"  Oh  !  my  guardian  angel,  how  shall  I  ever  repay  you 
for  all  the  care  and  kindness  you  have  shown  to  me? 
You  have  been  by  my  bedside  day  and  night,  and  I  have 
given  you  a  great  deal  of  trouble.  Let  these  tears," 
continued  she,  throwing  her  arms  about  Lily's  neck, 
"  tell  you  of  my  gratitude.  They  are  all  that  I  can 
offer  you." 

"  Simonetta,  how  can  you  talk  in  that  idle  manner  ? 
You  owe  me  no  debt  of  gratitude.  My  love  for  you 
prompted  me  to  do  the  little  I  have  done.  Come,  Simon- 
etta, dry  these  tears.  There  !  I  never  saw  a  more  lovely 
creature  in  my  life.  You  look  as  though  you  never  had 
an  hour's  sickness.  It  is  time  your  toilet  was  made  ;  or 
have  you  forgotten  that  you  promised  Mr.  Haldenberg 
that  you  would  grant  him  the  privilege  of  seeing  you 
this  evening?" 

This  question  brought  the  blood  in  a  crimson  tide  to 
the  cheeks  of  Simonetta,  who  straightway  arose  and 
commenced  preparing  herself  for  the  parlor.  Lily  lent 
every  assistance  that  was  in  her  power,  and  soon  no 


280  LILY     WHITE. 

flower  of  the  valley  was  more  lovely  than  the  dark-eyed 
Italian  maiden. 

"Now,"  said  Lily,  as  the  last  bow  was  arranged,  "you 
are  ready  for  the  parlor." 

With  their  arms  intwined  about  each  other's  waist, 
these  maidens  sought  the  reception-room. 

Those,  indeed,  were  happy,  blissful  days.  To  Lily 
White  Castruccio's  hospitable  palace  was  a  paradise. 
Hitherto  her  virgin  heart  had  been  tried  in  the  bitter 
school  of  adversity  and  suffering;  but  here,  amid  the 
beauties  of  art,  and  surrounded  by  kind  friends,  a  new 
and  beautiful  hope  had  tinged  her  life  with  joy. 

She  looked  back  upon  the  past,  which  seemed  to  her  a 
dim  and  troubled  dream,  while  the  future  stretched  away 
a  sweet  and  joyous  scene.  Love  had  touched  her  heart, 
and  she  lived  and  moved  in  the  smiles  of  Eugene  Saun- 
ders.  To  her*  he  was  everything ;  she  lived  in  a  new 
world ;  she  loved  to  walk  through  those  splendid  rooms, 
and  gaze  upon  the  paintings  which  Eugene  admired,  and 
to  cull  his  favorite  flowers.  To  Lily  everything  seemed 
changed;  The  waves  that  broke  against  the  palace  walls 
seemed  more  bright  and  sparkling ;  the  stars  that  lit  the 
deep  blue  dome  of  night  appeared  nearer  to  the  earth ; 
the  magnificent  sunsets,  now,  oh  how  grand  and  glow- 
ing !  and  Venice  itself  was  ten  thousand  times  more 
dear. 

Every  day  was  she  and  the  other  girls  abroad  on  the 
canals. 

Eugene  Saunders  and  Leopold  Haldenberg  were  their 
constant  attendants.  At  night  they  assembled  in  the 
parlor,  and  passed  the  hours  most  pleasantly.  Some- 
times Uglino  was  present. 


LILY     WHITE.  281 

One  evening  they  were  all  thus  assembled.  Eugene 
had  led  Lily  apart  to  the  window  and  was  engaged  in  a 
low  and  earnest  conversation.  The  reader  may  guess 
the  engrossing  subject.  Fanny  and  Kosetta  were  teas- 
ing Castruccio,  and  Simonetta  was  touching  her  guitar 
for  Leopold,  who  sat  as  if  charmed  by  the  melting 
melody.  Uglino  entered  the  room.  Fanny  and  Rosetta 
ran  to  greet  him,  and,  one  taking  his  right  hand  and  the 
other  the  left,  led  him  to  a  seat. 

"  Oh !  Uglino,  I  am  so  glad  to  see  you,"  said  Rosetta. 

"  And  so  am  I,"  echoed  Fanny. 

All  present  warmly  welcomed  Uglino,  and  Castruccio 
at  once  engaged  him  in  conversation.  Soon  a  servant 
entering  announced  supper,  and  all  sought  the  sumptuous 
table,  to  partake  of  Castruccio's  hospitality.  After  tea 
a  shade  of  sadness  rested  on  the  brow  of  Leopold  Hal- 
denberg,  which  Simonetta  did  not  fail  to  notice.  She 
attempted  to  banish  it  by  singing  to  him  his  favorite 
songs.  He  arose  and  walked  forth  into  the  balcony,  and 
was  standing  leaning  against  one  of  the  tall  columns,  and 
appeared  lost  in  some  deep  and  absorbing  thought,  when 
some  one  touched  him  gently  on  the  arm. 

"Pardon  me,  Leopold,"  said  the  sweet  and  musical 
voice  of  Simonetta,  "for  thus  interrupting  your 
thoughts ;  but  I  could  not  stay  away  when  I  knew  that 
some  sorrow  was  clouding  your  brow.  What  is  the  mat- 
ter ?  Tell  me,  Leopold,  for  you  know  that  I  am  happy 
only  when  you  smile,  and  a  shadow  upon  your  brow 
throws  a  gloom  over  my  own  heart.  Are  you  angry 
with  me  ?  Have  I  said  or  done  anything  that  has  marred 
your  bliss  ?" 

"No,  my  sweet  girl,"  said  Leopold,  drawing  her  to 


282  LILY     WHITE. 

his  heart,  "  I  am  not  angry  with  you,  nor  will  I  ever  be. 
Neither  have  you  said  a  word  which  my  heart  has  not 
treasured  as  if  it  were  a  gem." 

"  Why  then  look  so  sad,  my  Leopold,  and  come  forth 
into  the  dark  as  if  you  would  shun  those  who  love  you 
best?" 

"  Recently,  Simonetta,  strange  visions  cross  my  mind. 
It  seems  as  if  the  veil  which  has  hung  over  my  infancy 
and  early  years  was  being  drawn  aside.  What  my  sus- 
picions are,  Simonetta,  as  dearly  as  I  love  you,  I  cannot 
now  let  you  know.  The  time  may  come  when  all  will 
be  bright  and  clear.  Ha!  look  !"  said  he,  endeavoring 
to  change  the  theme ;  "  see  you  that  brilliant  meteor  that 
darts  along  the  sky,  leaving  in  its  wake  a  long  line  of 
sparkling  splendor?" 

"Oh!  yes,"  said  Simonetta;  "is  it  not  most  beau- 
tiful ?  See,  now  it  is  fading  away ;  and  thus  all  beauty 
dies." 

"You  are  mistaken,  Simonetta;  beauty  never  dies. 
The  flower  may  fade  and  its  fragrance  pass  away,  but 
again,  when  the  warm  sunshine  kisses  the  earth  in  love, 
will  it  bud,  bloom,  and  blossom,  and  fill  the  air  with  its 
perfume.  Are  the  songs  of  birds  beautiful  ?  When  the 
wintry  winds  blow  bleak  and  cold,  and  the  driving 
snow  falls  fast,  those  songs  are  hushed,  and  the  warblers 
gone  to  other  and  warmer  climes ;  but  when  the  spring- 
time comes,  and  the  grass  is  green,  again  we  hear  their 
melody  in  every  bush  and  tree.  Are  the  stars  that  beam 
above  us  beautiful  ?  They  are  and  will  ever  be,  though 
they  close  their  eyes  in  slumbers  sweet  when  the  king  of 
day  appears  ;  yet,  when  he  sinks  to  rest  wrapped  in  his 
clouds  of  golden  glory,  those  stars  again  gleam  forth  on 


LILY     WHITE.  283 

high,  and  light  the  splendid  dome  of  night.  Think  you, 
Simonetta,  your  beauty  will  ever  die  ?  No — never, 
never.  In  the  dim  twilight  of  our  lives  will  you  be  to 
me  as  you  are  this  night, — my  flower,  my  bird,  my  star ; 
and  when  you  fade  from  earth,  away  again  in  heaven 
will  you  bloom  afresh,  where  bliss  is  for  evermore." 
"Leopold,"  said  the  blushing  girl,  "you  flatter  me." 
"  Think  you,  Simonetta,  that  a  love  so  deep,  so  fondly 
true  as  that  which  thrills  my  heart,  could  stoop  so  low 
as  to  win  by  flattery  ?  But  come,  Lily  is  calling  you ; 
let  us  go  within." 

******** 

We  must  hasten  with  our  story  ;  already  have  we  de- 
tained the  kind  and  indulgent  reader  too  long.  Several 
days  passed  away.  Twilight  was  gathering  over  Venice, 
and  many  a  noble  palace  and  towering  dome  was  soft- 
ened into  a  mild  and  dreamy  splendor.  A  few  thin 
clouds  were  glowing  in  the  west,  and  so  calm,  so  still  was 
everything,  that  we  can  only  "  say  of  things  they  be." 

Seated  by  a  window  that  looked  forth  toward  the  sea, 
were  Eugene  Saunders  and  Lily  White.  To  them  the 
hour  was  sacred ;  to  them  the  future  stretched  away,  a 
lovely  and  beautiful  landscape,  adorned  with  flowers  and 
decked  with  evergreens. 

"  My  Lily,  I  am  happy  now.  Life  has  now  its  aims, 
and  with  you  as  my  polar  star  I  can  face  every  danger 
and  triumph  over  every  obstacle.  Hitherto  I  have  been 
like  a  vessel  without  a  chart  or  rudder,  drifting  along  the 
sea  of  life,  at  the  mercy  of  wind  and  wave.  With  these 
hands  will  I  toil  for  you,  and  upon  this  bosom  shall  you 
rest."  :«u:fc> 

"I  fear,  Eugene,"  said  the  artless  Lily  White,  "that 


284  LILY     WHITE. 

I  shall  fail  to  bring  that  happiness  which  you  have  just 
described.  Remember,  that  I  am  a  plain  and  simple 
girl,  untaught  in  the  ways  of  the  world." 

"  Since  the  evening  I  rescued  you  from  the  canal 
your  image  has  been  engraven  on  my  heart.  From 
that  hour  I  loved  you  with  a  pure  and  holy  love.  Do 
you  know,  Lily,  that  ere  I  sailed  for  Italy  I  saw  you  in 
my  dreams  just  as  you  now  appear?" 

"Did  you  expect  to  find  me  in  a  foreign  land?"  said 
Lily,  with  a  smile ;  "  come,  tell  me,  Eugene,  why  you 
left  your  native  land ;  you  have  promised  that  you 
would.  You  have  several  times  hinted  that  it  was  a 
strange  and  foolish  fancy." 

"  I  will  comply,  if  you  will  promise  not  to  laugh  at 
me.  Last  winter  I  was  in  New  Orleans,  when  a  little 
incident  occurred  that  unhinged  all  my  philosophy  and 
came  near  running  me  mad.  I  was  returning  to  my 
room  one  windy,  blustrous  night,  when,  pausing  before  a 
lamp-light  to  examine  my  watch,  I  espied  a  lady's  slip- 
per lying  at  my  feet.  I  placed  it  in  my  bosom  and 
hastened  on.  My  imagination  painted  a  beauteous  crea- 
ture for  that  slipper.  It  is  strange  to  say  it,  yet  it  is 
true,  my  soul  was  in  a  flame  to  ascertain  the  owner,  but 
in  vain.  I  returned  to  my  home,  and  what  was  my  sur- 
prise when  I  learned  that  the  mistress  of  that  slipper 
had  been  in  my  own  house  and  had  pressed  my  own 
couch.  From  my  servants  I  learned  that  she  was  jour- 
neying toward  the  North.  I  wrote  to  a  friend  who 
resides  in  New  York,  to  ascertain  if  such  a  lady  was 
visiting  that  city.  Three  weeks  passed  away,  and  at 
length  his  answer  came.  He  had  been  absent  from 
home;  hence  the  delay.  He  could  give  me  no  in- 


LILY     WHITE.  285 

formation,  and  I  determined  to  drown  my  disappoint- 
ment in  new  and  distant  scenes.  Here,"  said  Eugene, 
taking  from  his  bosom  the  little  slipper,  "  is  the  talisman 
that  has  been  the  means  of  bringing  us  together." 

"It  is  mine!  it  is  mine!"  said  Lily,  with  delight; 
"  I  know  it  by  the  Iris-flower  that  is  wrought  upon  the 
instep,  and  the  emblem  of  that  flower  is — '  I  have  a 
message  for  you;'  so  you  see  it  has  proved  true." 

Lily  caught  the  slipper  to  her  heart  as  if  it  were  a 
friend,  and  Eugene's  soul  was  filled  with  joy  and  hap- 
piness, that  after  all  his  trials  and  difficulties  he  had 
found  the  real  owner  of  the  gem. 

"  Do  you  not  see,  Lily,  that  God  has  willed  our  love, 
and  in  all  we  both  have  suffered,  his  mercy  has  been 
shown  ?  In  this  circumstance  we  see  what  a  little  incident 
can  influence  our  actions  and  shape  our  lives.  The  find- 
ing of  this  slipper,  Lily,  was  indeed  a  trivial  matter ;  but 
the  strange  and  indescribable  feelings  which  it  produced 
are  mysteries  that  cannot  be  solved,  unless  we  refer  them 
to  the  wisdom  and  omniscience  of  God.  In  the  lonely 
walk,  in  the  busy  crowd,  in  the  exciting  dance  and 
whirling  waltz,  that  slipper  haunted  me.  I  had  with- 
stood the  charms  of  many  lovely  and  beautiful  women ; 
and  then  to  be  conquered  by  an  event  so  small,  I  must 
confess  came  near  driving  me  mad.  In  vain  did  I  rea- 
son ;  in  vain  did  I  fly.  By  the  lovely  Arno ;  amid  the 
glitter  and  pomp  of  palaces ;  amid  the  dazzling  and 
brilliant  splendors  of  Europe's  proudest  and  noblest 
cities,  was  my  bosom  rent  with  a  feeling  of  despair, 
not,  however,  entirely  bereft  of  hope.  Driven  hither 
and  thither,  I  thought  that  fortune  had  deserted 
24* 


286  LILY    WHITE. 

me,  and  I  was  almost  ready  to  call  in  question  the 
justice  of  Jehovah,  when,  lo!  I  find  that  she  who 
had  fairly  won  my  heart  is  the  beautiful  owner  of  the 
talisman." 

Eugene  was  right.  It  was  the  power  and  wisdom  of 
God.  How  many  times  do  we  hear  men  say,  when  refer- 
ring to  any  strange  and  mysterious  affair,  "  it  was  acci- 
dent, it  was  accident !"  Is  it  accident  that  the  great 
glittering  concave,  studded  with  myriads  and  myriads 
of  dazzling  worlds,  stretches  its  beautiful  blue  above  us, 
upheld  by  no  stupendous  pillars  ?  Is  it  accident  that 
the  sun  daily  flushes  the  east  and  tinges  the  west  with 
his  golden  glories?  Is  it  accident  that  spring  comes 
with  its  softly  floating  clouds,  its  grass,  and  its  beautiful 
flowers  ;  that  summer,  and  autumn,  and  winter,  and  each 
in  turn  bless  the  earth  with  plenty?  Was  it  accident, 
long  ago,  when  Christ,  in  the  form  of  man,  said  to  the 
troubled  waters  of  Gallilee — Peace !  be  still !  when,  lo  ! 
straightway  the  sea 

"  Smoothed  down  each  shining  wrinkle," 

and  stilled  "  the  snow-maned  steed  ?"  Was  it  accident 
that  the  Red  Sea  parted  its  hissing  and  roaring  waters, 
thereby  permitting  the  Israelites  to  pass  over  dry-shod ; 
and  then,  with  a  furious  and  maddening  surge,  rolled 
its  liquid  walls  together,  inclosing  Pharaoh  and  his 
armed  hosts  in  a  watery  grave  ?  Was  it  accident  that 
the  ravens  fed  Elijah,  and  that  Daniel  passed  harmless 
through  the  lion's  den?  Some  may  say  that  these 
things  were,  and  are,  ruled  by  known  philosophical 
causes.  But  after  the  subtlest  reasonings  from  cause  to 
effect,  man,  puny  man,  must  crouch  humbly  before  the 


LILY     WHITE.  287 

power,  wisdom,  and  omniscience  of  Him  who  struck 
light  from  darkness  and  awoke  a  world  from  chaos !  It 
is  His  will  that  the  smallest  events  shall  frequently  lead 
to  the  mightiest  results. 

"  A  spark  is  a  molecule  of  matter,  yet  may  it  kindle  the  world : 
Vast  is  the  mighty  ocean,  but  drops  have  made  it  vast." 

The  magnetic  needle,  six  inches  long,  directs  the 
splendid  ocean-steamer  over  the  billows  and  through 
the  dark  and  dangerous  storm  to  a  safe  and  tranquil 
haven.  The  falling  of  an  apple  led  to  the  discovery  of 
universal  gravitation;  the  hissing  of  the  tea-kettle  to 
the  knowledge  of  steam ;  and  now,  as  if  hy  magic,  every 
glen  echoes  the  shrill  scream  of  the  steam-pipe,  and 
every  mountain  gorge  trembles  with  the  thunder  of  its 
power.  The  little  mouse  may  sever  the  cable  that  con- 
fines the  Numidian  lion.  Everything  we  behold,  from 
the  morning  dew-drop  that  glitters  like  a  diamond  on 
the  bending  floweret,  and  the  tiny  mQte  that  dances  in 
the  evening  sunray,  to  the  myriad  beings  of  a  drop  of 
water,  has  its  influence. 

"  There  is  use  in  the  poisoned  air  that  swelleth  the  pods  of  the 

laburnum ; 

Design  in  the  venomed  thorns  that  sentinel  the  leaves  of  the  nettle ; 
A  final  cause  for  the  aromatic  gum  that  congealeth  the  moss  round  a 

rose; 
A  reason  for  each  blade  of  grass  that  reareth  its  small  spire." 

Eugene  Saunders  and  Lily  White  were  happy  in  each 
other's  love.  As  they  sat  by  the  window  gazing  out 
upon  the  gathering  gloom,  and  watching  the  stars  as  they 
came  forth  upon  the  skies,  they  talked  of  the  future  and 
its  pleasures  as  lovers  only  can  portray.  Lily,  with  the 


288  L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E. 

window  curtains  falling  in  graceful  folds  about  her  deli- 
cate form,  was  more  beautiful  than  Eugene  had  ever 
before  seen  her.  She  had  promised  that  in  three  weeks 
she  would  become  his  wife.  Is  it  therefore  to  be  won- 
dered that  his  manly  brow  was  all  aglow ;  that  his  bosom 
heaved  with  the  gentlest  and  tenderest  emotions,  and 
that  his  eye  was  lit  with  splendor  ? 

"I  care  not,  Lily,"  said  he,  "how  rapidly  the  hours 
may  glide  away.  I  desire  once  more  to  be  on  the  bil- 
lowy Atlantic,  and  to  feel  and  know  that  with  every 
surge  of  the  vessel  I  shall  be  drawing  nearer  to  my  own 
dear  native  shore.  In  my  Western  home  how  happy  will 
I  be,  with  your  smiles  to  cheer,  your  kind  words  to 
soothe,  and  your  love  to  bless  my  life !  Together,  Lily, 
my  love,  we  will  wander  through  the  grand  and  silent 
forest,  or,  seated  upon  the  sandy  beach,  we  will  watch 
the  glowing  sunset  and  admire  the  waves  breaking  in 
sparkling  silvery  spray  at  our  very  feet.  With  our 
souls  full  of  love,  how  pleasant  will  it  be  to  listen  to  the 
murmur  of  bees,  the  songs  of  birds,  and  the  hum  of  in- 
sects !  Everything  will  have  a  new  and  beautiful  charm 
for  me.  The  flowers,  the  waves,  the  birds,  the  clouds, 
the  skies,  the  stars,  the  trees,  the  mountains,  and  every 
living  thing  will  be  more  dear  to  me.  What  if  sorrows 
shall  for  a  moment  becloud  my  brow,  one  fond  look  into 
the  sunny,  smiling  depths  of  your  loving  eyes,  will  banish 
grief  and  make  me  dream  of  heaven.  If  my  heart  is 
pained,  one  sweet  smile  from  your  rosy  lips  will  cause 
me  to  forget  all  earthly  cares  and  persuade  me  that  a 
bright-winged  angel  is  by  my  side.  If  the  world  is 
harsh  and  bitter,  one  kind  word  from  you  will  wrap  my 
soul  in  a  bliss  akin  to  that  which  the  angels  feel." 


LILY     WHITE.  289 

"Eugene,"  said  Lily,  "I  am  surprised  to  hear  you 
talk  in  this  wild  and  impassioned  manner.  I  have 
thought  that  you  were  superior  to  other  men,  that  the 
higher,  holier,  and  purer  was  your  love,  the  more  sub- 
dued  would  he  your  feelings.  I  am  undeserving  such 
warm  declarations  of  love,  and  you  alarm  me  when  you 
speak  as  you  just  have  done.  Eugene,  my  life  shall  be 
devoted  to  your  pleasure  and  happiness ;  your  every 
wish,  if  possible,  shall  be  anticipated,  and  my  whole  heart 
shall  be  yours  and  only  yours ;  but,  Eugene,  remember 
that  human  nature  has  its  imperfections,  that  I  am 
neither  a  flower  nor  a  star,  but  a  poor  faulty  child  of 
clay,  whom  when  you  know  better  you  will  love  less. 
I  am  proud  of  your  love,  and  value  it  as  the  noblest 
treasure  that  was  ever  laid  at  a  woman's  feet.  Need  I 
inform  you  that  it  has  tinged  my  soul  with  a  beauteous 
light,  just  as  yonder  floating  cloud  is  now  brightened  by 
the  rising  moon,  or  as  those  distant  waves  you  see  gleam- 
ing and  glowing  on  the  sea?" 

What  language  can  portray  the  perfect  bliss  that  filled 
the  hearts  of  those  young  lovers  ?  Have  you  not  ex- 
perienced the  same  ?  Have  you  forgotten  the  time 
when  you  felt  as  Eugene  Saunders  did  ?  Do  you  not 
remember  when  you  whispered  the  tale  of  your  burning 
love  into  the  ear  of  her  whom  you  now  fondly  treasure 
as  the  wife  of  your  bosom  and  as  the  mother  of  your 
children  ?  Maybe  it  has  been  a  long  time  ago,  when,  on 
some  beautiful  moonlight  night,  you  led  your  loved  one 
into  the  flower-garden  and  swore  by  all  the  stars  and 
the  glittering  moon,  that  you  loved  her  as 'woman  was 
never  loved  before.  And  have  you  forgotten  how  your 
heart  leaped  with  joy  when  the  fair  young  being  in  the 


290  LILY     WHITE. 

rosy  hours  of  maidenhood  hid  her  glowing  cheeks  with 
her  little  soft  and  snowy  hand,  and  with  her  dimpled 
chin  resting  upon  her  bosom,  said,  with  smiles  and  tears, 
that  she  would  be  yours  ?  Maybe,  too,  you  are  even 
now  that  ardent  lover,  and  only  last  night,  or  at  furthest 
last  month,  knelt  at  some  fair  girl's  feet,  and  in  language 
full  of  love  sought  her  to  become  your  wife.  If  so,  you 
can  pardon  the  enthusiasm  of  Eugene  Saunders  and 
Lily  White. 

Courtship,  however,  does  not  always  end  in  joy.  It 
has  its  pleasures,  it  is  true;  but  how  many  times  has  it 
brought  tears,  and  woe,  and  bitter  anguish,  that  no  pen 
can  portray,  no  language  describe  !  It  is  often  the  high- 
way to  a  crime  that  brings  disgrace  and  infamy,  and 
stamps  upon  the  maiden's  brow  a  stain  which  no  time 
can  wipe  out,  and  upon  her  heart  a  blight  which  the 
tears  of  ages  cannot  wash  away.  Listen  to  what  we  say. 
f  When  the  heart  of  the  maiden  is  involved,  she  is  too  apt 
to  grant  to  her  lover  such  little  favors  as  the  pressure  of 
the  hand,  the  putting  of  the  arm  gently  about  the  waist, 
and,  too  frequently,  the  warm  and  fervent  kiss.  {These 
are  joys  that  belong  to  wedded  life.}  If  any  bright- 
eyed  and  happy  girl  shall  honor  these  pages  with  a 
glance,  will  she  be  warned  by  one  whom  she  may  never 
see,  that  the  soft,  low  whisper  of  love  may  linger  on  the 
lips  of  a  demon ;  that  the  gentle  sigh  may  come  from  a 
heart  as  black  as  hell ;  that  the  tender  embrace  may  be 
leading  her  to  a  home  of  woe  and  shame,  and  that  the 
burning  kiss  may  be  ripening  her  soul  for  a  dark  and 
awful  crime  ?  ^Remember  that  every  lover  is  not  true ; 
that  the  villain's  words  are  sweet ; /that  the  serpent's 
deadly  coil  is  amid  the  velvet  grass !  Forget  not  that 


LILY     WHITE. 


291 


the  heart  of  youth  is  warm  and  fiery,  and  when  en- 
kindled by  love  requires  a  constant  watch ;  and  that 
though  love  itself  is  touched  with  the  purity  of  heaven, 
yet  is  it  mingled  with  the  fires  of  hell ! 

"  The  sweetest  joy,  the  wildest  woe  is  love  ; 
The  taint  of  earth,  the  odor  of  the  skiea 
Is  in  it." 

Who  would  wish  to  call  that  maiden  wife  whose  hand 
has  been  pressed  by  every  passing  suitor,  and  whose  lips 
have  been  offered  to  every  ardent  lover  ? 

"While  passions  glow,  the  heart,  like  heated  steel, 
Takes  each  impression  and  is  worked  at  pleasure." 

When  the  heart  is  once  guilty  the  outposts  are  then 
taken,  and  the  citadel  remains  only  to  be  stormed ! 


CHAPTER  XXIII. 

"  Oh !  what  a  sign  it  is  of  evil  life, 
When  death's  approach  is  seen  so  terrible!" 

SHAKSPEARE — HENRY  VI. 

THE  world  is  full  of  wickedness.  Every  day  we  be- 
hold the  weak  oppressed  by  the  strong ;  and  every  day 
we  witness  scenes  that  send  the  blood  bounding  back 
upon  the  heart.  Search  the  history  of  crime,  and  you 
will  find  that  man  does  not  become  wicked  and  degraded 
in  a  day,  in  a  month,  or  in  a  year.  The  most  daring 
and  outrageous  deeds  that  have  ever  been  committed  by 
man,  required  long  years  of  perseverance  in  vice  to 
harden  the  heart  and  conscience  of  the  perpetrator. 


292  LILY     WHITE. 

The  first  lie  that  fell  from  the  lip  of  the  timid  school- 
boy, sending  the  blood  in  a  crimson  and  tingling  tide  to 
his  brow,  was  the  beginning  of  a  life  of  crime  that  ended 
in  a  prison  or  on  the  scaffold.  The  first  oath  that  came 
hissing  from  the  mouth  of  that  noble  youth,  seared  his 
soul,  and  his  death  was  full  of  woe  and  horror.  The 
burglar,  who  steals  softly  along  the  silent  streets  at 
midnight,  was  once  a  merry,  innocent  boy.  The  assas- 
sin, who  crouches,  panther-like,  in  the  pathway  of  his 
enemy,  was  once  a  mild  and  gentle  youth.  The  bold 
robber,  whose  blade  gleams  on  the  highway,  once  knelt 
at  a  fond  mother's  knee  and  lisped  his  evening  prayer ; 
and  the  cold-hearted  seducer,  whose  lip  wears  a  smile 
while  his  heart  is  wrapped  in  blackness,  once  sported  in 
glee  on  the  sunny  hill-side,  with  his  sisters,  whom  he  loved. 

Vice,  in  every  form,  blights  the  beauty  of  life  and 
clips  the  wings  of  genius.  We  have  seen  the  noblest 
intellects  dimmed  by  the  sparkling  wine-cup ;  we  have 
seen  giant  minds  grow  mad  and  raving  from  the  sting  of 
the  "serpent  of  the  still."  Byron,  the  great  eratic  son 
of  poesy,  has  somewhere  said,  in  substance,  that  we  are 
half  deity  and  half  devil.  Influenced  by  passions,  and 
driven  on  by  ambition,  we  too  often  forget  that  "thou, 
God,  seest  me."  Let  the  youth  remember,  when  in  the 
solitude  of  the  forest  or  amid  the  darkness  of  night,  this 
one  short  sentence, — "thou,  God,  seest  me."  Purity  is 
strength,  and  virtue  carries  with  it  its  own  reward. 
Vice,  sooner  or  later,  meets  with  its  just  penalty. 

Alexander  the  Great,  after  having  deluged  the  earth 
•with  blood  and  trampled  beneath  his  victorious  chariot- 
wheels  thousands  of  his  fellow-beings,  drank  himself  to 
death.  Napoleon  Bonaparte,  whose  brilliant  victories 


LILY     WHITE.  293 

and  splendid  achievements  shook  Europe  to  its  centre, 
ended  his  life  a  miserable  exile.  Marat,  whose  cruel 
pen  signed  the  death-warrant  of  so  many  noble  and 
gifted  men,  died  in  his  bath  by  a  dagger  wielded  by  the 
delicate  arm  of  Charlotte  Corday  de  Armont,  the  beau- 
tiful maiden  of  Normandy. 

Bernardo  the  priest  had  not  always  been  a  hard- 
hearted villain.  There  was  a  time  when  his  heart  was 
opened  to  the  call  of  mercy,  when  his  eye  was  filled 
with  tears  of  compassion,  and  when  his  mind  was  bent 
upon  noble  deeds  and  brilliant  achievements.  But  turn- 
ing a  deaf  ear  to  the  pleadings  of  conscience,  he  had 
advanced  from  one  step  to  another  until  we  now  behold 
him  uniting  in  his  nature  more  of  the  demon  than  of 
man.  Nature  bestowed  upon  him  a  brilliant  mind ;  his 
fiery  passions  made  him  a  fiend. 

Night  had  spread  her  mantle  over  the  world.  Not  a 
star  glimmered  in  the  sky ;  not  a  breath  of  wind  stirred 
the  dark  and  heavy  masses  of  clouds  that  shut  out  the 
splendor  of  those  myriads  of  beautiful  worlds  that  light 
the  heavens  with  radiance.  The  waves  of  the  blue 
Adriatic  were  still  and  silent,  and  there  was  no  gleaming 
of  waters  to  be  seen.  A  thousand  lights  beaming  from 
windows  told  only  that  Venice  was  inhabited.  It  seemed 
that  nature  was  clad  in  mourning — so  dark,  so  solemn, 
and  so  still  was  everything.  It  was  one  of  those  nights 
when  we  imagine  the  Furies  are  abroad ;  it  was  one  of 
those  nights  when  burglars  steal  along  the  streets,  when 
the  assassin  crouches  by  the  wayside,  and  when  evil- 
doers seek  the  open  air.  It  was  just  such  a  night  as 
that  in  which  we  pray  God  we  may  never  die. 

In  the  most  remote  and  filthy  part  of  Venice  a  pale 
25 


294  LILY     WHITE. 

and  sickly  ray  of  light  gleamed  from  the  shattered  win- 
dow of  a  rude  and  dilapidated  hovel.  Upon  a  couch  of 
straw  lay  a  man,  his  form  withered  almost  to  a  skeleton, 
who  tossed  from  side  to  side  like  the  billows  of  the  rest- 
less sea.  Now  his  long  bony  fingers  clutched  in  wrath 
and  vengeance  the  covering  that  concealed  the  lower 
portion  of  his  form ;  now  he  raised  his  hands  above  his 
head  and  groaned  aloud  in  the  very  agony  of  dark  de- 
spair. His  cheeks  were  as  pale  as  the  cold  marble ;  his 
long  dark  locks  streamed  in  wild  disorder  over  his  ample 
brow,  and  his  bosom  heaved  with  tumultuous  emotions. 
His  dark  eyes  glowed  with  a  strange  and  unearthly 
splendor ;  now  they  flashed  forth  fire  and  sparkled  like 
those  of  the  lion  in  the  jungle,  now  they  glared  wildly 
and  furiously  like  those  of  an  enraged  tiger. 

This  was  Father  Bernardo,  the  priest ;  and  Uglino 
had  spoken  with  truth  when  he  said,  on  a  former  occa- 
sion, that  the  hours  of  his  life  were  numbered.  Having 
escaped  the  soldiers  of  Leopold  Haldenberg  on  the 
eventful  night  at  the  Pirates'  Cave,  he  had  stolen  into 
the  suburbs  of  Venice,  and  had  found  lodgings  in  this 
miserable  abode. 

In  his  time  he  had  overcome  many  difficulties,  and 
had  triumphed  over  many  enemies ;  but  having  been 
recently  excommunicated  from  the  priesthood,  and  hav- 
ing been  thwarted  in  the  dearest  object  of  his  life,  he 
was  now  pining  away  from  disappointment,  and  was 
stretched  upon  his  dying  bed.  His  proud  heart  could 
stand  no  more.  A  fever  had  seized  upon  his  body,  and 
his  blood  flowed  like  a  fiery  stream  through  his  veins. 

A  dim  light  flickered  on  the  hearthstone,  and  in  the 
corner  crouched  a  miserable  looking  female.  She  swung 


LILY     WHITE.  295 

herself  to  and  fro,  all  the  while  muttering  a  strange 
humming  sound.  Ever  and  anon  she  cast  a  quick  glance 
toward  the  bed  on  which  Bernardo  lay ;  ever  and  anon 
she  arose  and  approached  his  humble  couch. 

"Back,  back,  fiend!  touch  me  not  with  thine  un- 
hallowed hand!"  said  the  raving  priest,  as  she  drew 
near  the  couch. 

"  You  now  call  me  fiend ;  but  there  was  a  time  when 
you  lavished  upon  me  words  as  soft  and  low  as  ever  fell 
from  a  lover's  lips." 

"  Begone  !  begone  !  reproach  me  not  with  the  past. 
Come  near  me,  wretch,  that  I  may  tear  out  your  heart- 
strings. Away !  away !  get  thee  gone  from  my  sight. 
Ha !  I  see  the  waves  of  the  Arno  rising  before  my 
vision,  and  there,  yes,  there  is  my  child,  which  you — - 
no,  not  you — drowned,  years  ago  !  Hark  !  hear  you  not 
his  cries !  see  you  not  his  up-lifted  hands !  Begone, 
begone,  I  say !" 

Thus  Bernardo  raved.  The  female  whom  he  addressed 
quailed  not  before  his  furious  glance ;  she  stood  erect, 
and,  without  one  sign  of  pity,  regarded  the  dying  man. 

"  Hush,  man,"  said  she,  in  a  shrill  and  discordant 
voice;  "think  not  of  the  past,  but  look  to  the  future, 
and  make  your  peace  with  that  God  against  whom  you 
have  so  often  sinned." 

"  To  hell !  to  hell !  there  is  no  God  !  Life  is  a  farce, 
and  death  a  never-ending  sleep  !  See  there  !  Oh,  my 
God,  see  there  !  Behold  you  not  that  demon,  standing 
there  ready  to  devour  me  ?  Look  !  Oh !  tear  this  ser- 
pent from  my  breast  before  he  wraps  my  form  in  his 
slimy,  glittering  folds !  God  have  mercy  upon  me,  I 
pray !" 


296  LILY     WHITE. 

When  Bernardo  finished  speaking  great  drops  of 
sweat  stood  upon  his  brow,  the  white  foam  issued  in  a 
frothy  stream  from  his  mouth,  his  eyes  glared  wildly, 
and  his  once  proud  and  stately  form  quivered  in  every 
muscle. 

The  hour  of  retribution  had  arrived.  And  thus  will 
it  ever  come  upon  those  who  neglect  to  lay  hold  of  the 
promises  of  the  Bible.  For  a  time  we  may  escape,  but 
sooner  or  later  death  will  arrive ;  the  loftiest  intellect, 
as  well  as  the  most  inferior,  must  face  the  great  mon- 
ster ;  there  is  no  escape. 

Man  is  a  strange  being,  wonderfully  and  fearfully 
made.  He  knows  that  he  must  die,  that  life  is  a  brittle 
thread  which  may  in  an  instant  break,  that  the  grave  is 
his  final  resting-place,  yet  he  rushes  on  amid  the  excit- 
ing scenes  of  this  world,  indulging  in  excesses  that 
blight  the  mind  and  ruin  the  body,  battling  for  wealth 
and  distinction,  when  he  is  aware  that  his  life  may  end 
in  a  moment,  and  that  then  he  must  either  sink  into  a 
burning  hell  or  soar  aloft  into  a  glorious  heaven. 

What,  after  all,  are  pleasures  ?  Like  the  roses  of 
summer  they  wither  and  die.  What  is  fame  but  an 
empty  bauble  ?  Will  earthly  honors  weigh  with  the 
loss  of  an  immortal  soul  ?  Tiberius  Claudius  Nero 
clutched  the  glittering,  dazzling  bauble,  and  tasted 
every  joy  that  his  sensual  appetite  could  conceive,  yet 
he  died  a  miserable  death.  Herod  Agrippa,  the  mighty 
Tetrarch,  was  surrounded  by  the  glitter  of  earthly  gran- 
deur and  magnificence ;  thousands  crowded  about  his 
brilliant  throne  and  even  worshiped  him  as  God ! 
"Yet,"  says  one,  "in  the  very  ecstasy  of  those  sensa- 
tions his  countenance  became  ghastly,  his  lips  writhed, 


LILY     WHITE.  29T 

his  eyes  beheld  with  unutterable  dismay  the  omen  of 
dissolution — the  visible  phantom  of  an  avenging  Neme- 
sis. He  staggered  from  his  throne,  crying  aloud  in  the  ex- 
tremity of  his  anguish  ;  a  sudden  corruption  had  seized 
upon  his  body — he  was  being  devoured  l>y  worms." 

The  stormy  eloquence  of  Gabriel  de  Mirabeau,  which 
had  so  many  times  sent  a  thrill  of  joy  and  admiration 
throughout  France,  and  which  had  elevated  him  to  the 
first  place  in  the  affections  of  the  people,  was  hushed 
forever  in  death,  and  his  last  words  were — "Sprinkle 
me  with  perfumes,  crown  me  with  flowers,  that  thus  I 
may  enter  upon  eternal  sleep." 

How  much  better  is  it  to  lead  the  life  of  the  truly 
pious  and  humble  Christian,  so  that,  when  the  hour  of 
departure  arrives,  there  may  be  no  awful  struggle  like 
that  which  Nero  made ;  that  there  may  be  no  dismal 
shriek  like  that  which  the  Tetrarch  gave ;  that  there 
may  be  no  doubts  like  those  which  fell  from  the  lips  of 
the  dying  Mirabeau ;  and  that  there  may  be  no  feelings 
of  remorse  like  those  which  harrowed  the  soul  of  the 
priest  Bernardo  !  Instead  of  trusting  to  the  show  and 
splendor  of  earth  for  happiness,  how  much  better  is  it 
to  rely  confidingly  upon  the  words  of  the  Bible,  which, 
if  false,  will  make  man  purer,  higher,  and  holier ;  and  if 
true,  will  in  the  end  crown  him  not  alone  with  flowers, 
but  with  eternal  bliss ! 

Examine  its  pages;  contrast  the  Bible 'with  the  feeble 
record  of  man.  Man  is  the  author  of  the  one,  the  other 
is  the  work  of  Him  "who  sowed  the  skies  with  stars," 
hollowed  out  the  ocean,  lifted  up  the  "  starry  hills," 
garnitured  the  mountains  with  loveliness,  and  filled  the 
earth  with  gold  and  silver,  rubies  and  gems,  pearls  and 
25* 


298  LILY     WHITE. 

diamonds.  The  one  is  a  history  of  the  past ;  the  other, 
in  its  majestic  sweep,  embraces  the  past,  the  present, 
and  the  future.  The  one  describes  the  cities  of  the 
earth — Rome  with  her  St.  Peter's,  Athens  with  her 
Parthenon,  and  Nineveh  with  her  catacombs ;  the  other 
not  only  describes  the  cities  of  the  earth,  but  also  men- 
tions one  whose  streets  are  gold,  whose  gates  are  bril- 
liant pearls,  and  whose  walls  are  jasper,  amethyst,  and 
chrysoprase.  The  one  tells  of  -the  Ganges  and  its  be- 
nighted worshipers ;  the  other  informs  us  of  a  river  of 
eternal  life,  flowing  from  the  brilliant  throne  of  God, 
upon  whose  banks  flourish  the  eternal  amaranth,  and 
about  the  waters  of  which  are  assembled  angels  bearing 
aloft  harps  and  lutes  and  palms !  From  the  one  we 
learn  that  the  dreadful  Upas  of  Java  is  death  to  the 
touch ;  from  the  other  we  ascertain  the  existence  of  the 
Tree  of  Life,  beneath  the  wide-spreading  branches  of 
which  may  recline,  in  peace  and  harmony,  all  the  throng- 
ing millions  of  earth's  inhabitants.  In  the  pages  of  the 
one  we  read  of  the  daring  of  a  Joan  of  Arc,  and  are 
charmed  by  the  beauty  and  brilliancy  of  a  Cleopatra ;  in 
those  of  the  other  we  are  introduced  to  the  pious,  hum- 
ble Mary,  the  mother  of  Christ,  and  the  model  of 
women. 

It  was  a  solemn  sight  to  behold  that  bold,  bad  man, 
stretched  upon  his  bed  of  pain.  No  ray  of  light  gleamed 
upon  him  from  above ;  wrapped  in  his  own  unbelief  he 
was  descending  into  the  dark  and  dismal  waters  of  the 
Jordan  of  death.  No  kind  and  gentle  hand  smoothed 
his  dying  pillow ;  his  vile  actions  had  shut  him  out  from 
every  sympathizing  friend.  Alone,  neglected,  and  de- 
spised, in  a  cold,  damp  hovel,  and  on  a  dark,  gloomy 


LILY     WHITE.  299 

night,  Bernardo  the  priest  was  entering  into  the  valley 
of  the  shadow  of  death. 

A  low  tap  upon  the  door  announced  the  presence  of  a 
visitor.  In  a  loud  and  commanding  tone  of  voice  the 
female  said, — 

"  Come  in." 

Uglino  and  Leopold  Haldenberg  entered.  When 
Bernardo  saw  the  form  of  the  dwarf  he  groaned  aloud 
in  agony ;  his  form  quivered,  and  the  bed  shook  beneath 
him. 

"Ha!  Bernardo,"  said  Uglino,  "did  I  not  tell  you 
that  I  would  haunt  you  in  your  dying  hour  ?  I  am  here 
to  fulfill  my  vow." 

"  Away !  away !  let  me  die  in  peace  !  Uglino,  help 
me  !  help  me  !"  said  the  dying  man. 

"  Call  upon  the  saints  for  aid,  but  ask  not  help  from 
me." 

"  A  vaunt,  monster !  come  not  near  me  then.  Villain, 
you  have  brought  me  to  this ;  you  have  ruined  me. 
Power,  wealth,  and  happiness  were  within  my  reach, 
and  would  have  soon  been  mine,  had  you  not  interfered 
and  thwarted  me.  I  will  meet  you  again ;  in  the  hiss- 
ing fires  of  the  hottest  hell  I  will  meet  you  and  greet 
you  with  my  wails,"  said  the  priest. 

By  this  time  the  wind  had  risen,  and  howled  mourn- 
fully around-  that  dreary  hovel.  The  rain  fell  in  patter- 
ing drops  upon  the  roof. 

"Listen,  Bernardo,"  said  the  dwarf;  "God  in  his 
vengeance  comes ;  I  have  sought  you  out  to  tell  you  who 
and  what  you  are.  Hear,  Bernardo,  ere  you  die.  Have 
you  forgotten  Lorenzo  Pitti,  whom  you  confined  for  long 
years  in  a  dungeon's  gloom,  and  whom  your  cruelty  and 


300  LILY     WHITE. 

revenge  destroyed  ?  That  man,  sir,  was  your  father  ! 
Ha  !  you  start !  You  are  an  illegitimate  child ;  here  is 
the  proof,"  said  he,  holding  the  papers  before  the  priest's 
staring  eyes,  "  signed  by  your  mother  on  her  dying  bed. 
You  killed  your  father,  and  if  it  had  not  been  for  me 
you  would  have  forced  your  half-sister  into  an  unholy 
marriage  with  yourself.  Did  I  not  tell  you  that  a  chasm 
would  open  between  you  and  Simonetta  Pitti?  You 
murdered  your  father's  lawful  wife,  and  drowned  your 
own  child  in  the  Arno.  Now  tell  me,  thou  sinful  wretch, 
what  has  become  of  my  own  dear  boy  ?  Speak,  that 
hell  may  be  less  hot  for  thee ;  speak,  that  I  may  fly  to 
him  and  clasp  him  to  my  heart !" 

Bernardo  concealed  his  face  beneath  the  covering  while 
Uglino  was  running  over  the  list  of  his  fearful  crimes. 
Leopold  Haldenberg  stood  bewildered  with  amazement 
at  the  awful  scene  before  him ;  he  forgot  that  he  had 
sworn  direful  vengeance  against  Bernardo  ;  he  had  acci- 
dentally met  Uglino,  and  had  been  invited  to  accompany 
him.  Neither  of  them  had  paid  any  particular  attention 
to  the  daring  Amazon,  who,  on  their  entrance,  had  slid 
into  the  corner  and  partially  hid  her  features  with  her 
handkerchief. 

"Bernardo,"  said  the  dwarf,  "hast  thou  heard  me? 
Tell  me,  wretch,  where  I  may  find  my  son.  Does  he 
still  live,  or  has  he  too  fallen  beneath  your  malignant 
cruelty?" 

The  priest,  being  aroused  by  the  loud  and  command- 
ing voice  of  Uglino,  sprang  to  a  sitting  posture,  his  eyes 
glittering  with  a  fearful  light. 

"Ask  that  woman  who  crouches  yonder.  Speak,  and 
tell  this  monster  what  you  know,  ere  he  devours  me; 
speak,  I  say." 


LILY     WHITE.  301 

In  an  instant  Uglino  was  by  her  side.  A  long  keen 
dagger  gleamed  above  her  heart,  and  the  giant-like  grasp 
of  the  dwarf  was  laid  upon  her  arm. 

"  Where  is  my  child  ?  tell  me,  or  this  moment  is  your 
last ;  I  am  desperate ;  do  not  tempt  me." 

When  Leopold  Haldenberg  caught  a  full  view  of  the 
upturned  features  of  the  female,  he  became  as  pale  as 
death,  and,  seizing  Uglino  by  the  arm,  said, — 

"  Hold  !  Uglino,  hold  !  this  woman  is  my  mother  !" 

"Pardon  me!  pardon  me!"  she  cried,  throwing  her- 
self upon  her  knees.  "  Oh !  Leopold,  I  am  not  your 
mother ;  I  have  deceived  you.  That  base  man,  who  now 
lies  there  upon  his  dying  bed,  blighted  my  life  long  years 
ago,  and  prepared  my  soul  for  a  dark  and  awful  crime. 
I  was  not  always  what  you  now  behold,  a  miserable  out- 
cast, without  friends,  without  a  home,  and  without  a 
name.  Before  I  met  Bernardo  I  was  pure  and  happy ; 
but  since  then  I  have  been  a  homeless  wanderer,  shunned 
and  loathed.  My  mother  was  a  devoted  Catholic,  and 
entirely  under  the  influence  of  that  priest,  and  she  from 
day  to  day  taught  me  that  a  priest  was  not  like  another 
man.  Through  Bernardo's  influence  I  destroyed  my 
boy ;  I  was  suspected  of  the  deed,  and  to  shield  me  from 
punishment  he  brought  me  another  child.  I  nurtured 
him  as  if  he  had  been  my  own ;  he  was  a  fine  and  noble 
lad.  At  length,  being  unable  to  support  him,  I  placed 
him  out  as  an  apprentice,  and  then  fled  to  other  scenes. 
Years  passed  away ;  I  once  more  returned ;  once  again 
I  saw  the  child ;  he  had  grown  to  manhood,  and  was  a 
proud  and  noble  soldier.  I  threw  myself  upon  his  bosom 
and  wept,  and  prayed  for  his  forgiveness ;  he  knew  not 
then  what  I  meant ;  I  was  proud  of  him  and  told  him  a 


302  LILY     WHITE. 

falsehood, — that  I  was  his  mother ;  he  did  not  doubt  me. 
Only  three  days  ago  did  I  learn  who  his  parents  were  ; 
because,  at  the  time  the  infant  was  placed  in  my  hands, 
Bernardo  hurried  me  from  Florence,  and  gave  me  no 
time  to  ask  him  any  questions.  Until  within  a  few  days 
past  I  have  not  seen  Bernardo ;  by  chance  he  came 
into  this  dreary  place  and  found  me  here  ;  he  was  sick 
and  weary.  I  gave  him  my  humble  couch,  for  though 
he  had  deeply  wronged  me  yet  I  remembered  that  he 
was  the  father  of  my  child.  I  did  not  pity  him  ;  I  could 
not,  for  sin  had  hardened  my  heart ;  but  I  had  not  for- 
gotten the  past,  and  thought  of  my  murdered  child.  To- 
day, Bernardo  told  me  that  Leopold  Haldenberg  was  the 
son  of  Uglino  the  dwarf!" 

"My  son  !"  "My  father  !"  burst  from  their  lips,  and 
each  folded  the  other  to  his  heart  in  a  warm  and  loving 
embrace.  Like  an  infant,  Leopold  wept.  Uglino,  too, 
wiped  the  tear-drops  from  his  own  withered  cheeks. 
Since  he  had  before  wept,  long  years  of  sorrow  and 
neglect  had  passed  away.  Alone  had  he  been  in  this 
cold  world ;  alone  had  he  battled  his  way  through  life. 
Often  and  oft  had  he  tried  in  vain  to  weep,  in  order  to 
soften  the  sorrow  that  was  gnawing  at  his  heart.  The 
fountain  had  become  dry ;  he  could  not  weep. 

"My  son,  my  noble  son,  I  bless  God  that  you  have 
been  restored  to  me.  I  thank  God  that  you  are  brave 
and  generous ;  that  you  come  to  me  crowned  with  glory. 
Through  long  years  of  sorrow  have  I  mourned  your  loss. 
God  has  answered  my  prayers." 

"Where,  my  father,"  said  Leopold,  "is  my  mother? 
I  will  fly  to  her  and  cover  her  cheeks  with  my  loving 


LILY     WHITE.  303 

With  tears  streaming  from  his  eyes  Uglino  lifted  his 
hand  aloft,  and,  pointing  above,  said, — 

"  My  son,  she  is  in  heaven.  In  giving  hirth  to  you 
she  died,  and- " 

Uglino  could  go  no  further;  his  soul  was  full,  and, 
burying  his  face  in  his  hands,  he  wept  aloud.  His  heart 
was  melted  with  the  sweet  memory  of  other  years ;  his 
soul  was  touched  with  the  beauteous  vision  of  those 
happy  days.  How  truly  has  the  poet  spoken  ! — 

"  Columbia's  flattened  head,  and  China's  crumpled  feet, — 

The  civilized  tapering  waist,  and  the  pendulous  ears  of  the  savage, — 

The  swollen  throat  among  the  mountains,  and  an  ebon  skin  beneath 

the  tropics, — 
Shall  all  be  reckoned  beauty,  and  for  weighty  cause." 

What  if  Uglino's  features  were  not  regular  ?  His 
heart  was  naturally  good  and  true.  Some  of  the  great- 
est and  noblest  men  of  earth  have  been  marred  by 
nature.  Lord  Byron  had  a  deformed  foot,  yet 

"  O'er  the  harp,  from  earliest  years  beloved, 
He  threw  his  fingers  hurriedly,  and  tones 
Of  melancholy  beauty  died  away 
Upon  its  strings  of  sweetness." 

John  Wilkes  was  hideously  ugly;  Mirabeau  was  mark- 
ed with  smallpox ;  Beethoven,  the  great  musician,  was 
deaf,  yet  with  what  power  could  he  touch  the  keys ! 
Sir  Walter  Scott, — who  by  his  mighty  genius  has  hal- 
lowed every  glen  and  brae  and  green  savanna  of  his 
native  land,  and  has  hung  a  bright  hallo  of  eternal  glory 
over  those  "soft,  silent,  hills,"  that  will  never  grow 
dim, — was  lame ;  Homer,  too,  was  blind ;  the  heavy 
hand  of  God  was  upon  John  Milton,  and  he  could  con- 


304  LILY     WHITE. 

template  neither  the  snows  of  winter,  the  flowers  of 
spring,  the  beauties  of  summer,  nor  the  glories  of  au- 
tumn: he  could  behold  neither  the  hills  adorned  with 
loveliness,  nor  the  mountains  clad  in  sunshine ;  en- 
veloped in  a  dismal  night  of  gloom,  he  could  trace 
neither  the  fiery  lightnings  nor  watch  the  arching  rain- 
bow, nor  behold  the  canopy  above  him  decked  with  the 
beautiful  stars ;  but  through  the  deep  darkness  of  this 
world's  night  the  eye  of  faith  led  him  far  above  the 
glittering  concave  to  the  eternal  throne  of  light,  and, 
seizing  the  buried  harp  of  ages,  he  strung  it  with  his  own 
immortal  hand, — he  sung,  and  all  the  nations  of  the 
earth  stood  entranced. 

A  deep  groan  drew  Uglino  and  Leopold  to  the  sick 
man's  couch.  He  was  gradually  sinking,  and  his  breath- 
ing was  thick  and  fast :  he  no  longer  recognized  Uglino. 

"Hush  !"  said  he;  "hear  you  not  those  demons  nap- 
ping their  heavy  wings  ?  See !  how  their  eyes  glare 
upon  me  !  Oh !  I  am  lost !  I  am  lost !  I  am  lost !" 

Leopold  Haldenberg  was  overcome;  he  felt  a  sym- 
pathy for  the  suffering  wretch.  Approaching  nearer  to 
the  bedside,  he  asked, — 

"  Bernardo,  shall  I  call  a  priest,  that  you  may  confess 
ere  you  die?" 

"Who  prates  to  me  of  priest?  Oh!  it  is  too  late! 
too  late!  Already  I  hear  the  wails  of  the  doomed; 
already  I  hear  the  shrieks  of  the  damned !  They  howl 
my  name ;  even  now  they  beckon  to  me.  Oh  !  too  late ! 
too  late!  Oh! " 

A  convulsive  shudder  ran  over  Bernardo's  frame,  and 
giving  a  wild  and  fearful  scream,  his  spirit  fled  into  that 
silent  world.  Bernardo,  the  cunning  priest,  the  heart- 


LILY     WHITE.  305 

less  knave,  and  the  tormenting  villain,  was  no  more  !  To 
him  the  last  long  night  had  come,  dark,  dismal,  and 
rayless !  No  sun  will  ever  again  dispel  the  gloom. 
Through  countless  ages  must  he  suffer ;  through  a  never- 
ending  eternity  will  his  wails  mingle  with  those  of  the 
damned !  Sternly  to  the  last  did  he  struggle  with  the 
grim  monster,  and  even  death  itself  could  not  dim  the 
lustre  of  his  flashing  eyes.  Fiercely  to  the  last  did 
he  combat  that  fate  which  no  earthly  power  can  turn 
aside;  and  now  he  lay  wrapped  in  death,  his  features 
distorted  by  suffering,  and  his  eyes  fixed  upon  vacancy 
with  a  meaningless  glare. 

Reader,  have  you  forgotten  the  good  Aurelia  White  ? 
Do  you  remember  how  she  died  ?  Contrast  the  death- 
scene  of  that  pious,  humble  Christian,  with  this  of  the 
daring  priest  of  R0me,  and  select  you  between  the  two. 

Uglino  and  Leopold  assisted  Leonora,  the  female,  in 
preparing  the  body  for  burial.  As  Leopold  Haldenberg 
departed,  in  order  to  send  some  of  his  men  to  guard  the 
dead  body  of  the  priest,  he  placed  a  purse  of  gold  into 
the  hands  of  Leonora. 

When  Simonetta  learned  the  incidents  narrated  in  this 
chapter,  her  heart  was  filled  with  grief.  She  shed  tears 
of  sympathy  for  Bernardo,  that  his  life  had  been  so  full 
of  sin,  and  that  his  death  had  been  so  full  of  woe. 


26 


LILY     WHITE. 


CHAPTER  XXIV. 

The  wars  are  over ; 

The  spring  is  come ; 
The  bride  and  her  lover 

Have  sought  their  home. 
They  are  happy,  vre  rejoice, 
Let  their  hearts  have  an  echo  in  every  voice ! 

BYEON'S  DEFORMED  TRANSFORMED. 

And  like  some  low  and  mournful  spell, 
To  whisper  but  one  word — farewell ! 

PARK  BENJAMIN. 

ON  one  of  those  transcendently  beautiful  evenings 
that  can  be  seen  nowhere  except  in  Italy,  the  canals 
were  thronged  with  gondolas.  As  the  last  lingering 
rays  of  the  setting  sun  fell  upon  the  rich  and  splendid 
dresses  of  the  maidens,  upon  the  gay  and  dazzling 
uniform  of  soldiers,  upon  the  flaunting  banners,  and 
upon  those  magnificent  palaces,  it  was,  indeed,  a  fairy- 
like  scene.  Music  swelled  on  high  and  mingled  with  the 
merry  ringing  laugh  of  beautiful  girls,  whose  hearts 
were  pure  and  happy.  The  waves,  ruffled  by  the  gentle 
breeze,  sparkled  like  a  sea  of  brilliants,  and  the  snowy 
sails  rising  and  falling  with  the  graceful  swells,  seemed 
to  dance  with  joy  and  glee.  The  far-distant  Alps  were 
suffused  with  an  indescribable  splendor,  and  the  whole 
scene  looked  as  if  it  might  be  fresh  from  the  Creator's 
hand. 


LILY     WHITE.  307 

1 

"  It  was  an  evening  bright  and  still 

As  ever  blushed  on  wave  or  bower, 

Smiling  from  heaven,  as  if  naught  ill 

Could  happen  in  so  sweet  an  hour." 

It  was  the  bridal  evening  of  Lily  White  and  Simon- 
etta  Pitti !  Brilliant  lamps  shed  a  dazzling  splendor 
throughout  the  gorgeous  palace  of  Castruccio  Castra- 
cini.  Every  room  blazed  with  the  glitter  of  sparkling 
chandeliers,  and  the  light,  streaming  over  marble  statues 
and  upon  splendid  paintings,  carried  the  beholder  back 
to  the  days  of  Oriental  grandeur.  What  skill  in  the 
arrangement  of  everything  !  What  taste  was  exhibited ; 
what  unbounded  wealth  displayed  ! 

Castruccio,  with  a  genial  and  pleasant  smile  playing 
upon  his  countenance,  hastened  from  room  to  room, 
giving  a  kind  and  gentle  word  to  every  "one  he  met. 
With  that  dignity  which  ever  characterizes  the  man 
of  sense,  he  welcomed  his  guests.  With  smoothness  and 
regularity  everything  went  on.  Each  servant  under- 
stood the  duty  assigned  to  him  or  her ;  hence  there  was 
no  jarring  and  discord. 

Rosetta  and  Fanny  were  above  stairs,  assisting  in  pre- 
paring Lily  and  Simonetta  for  the  bridal  altar.  They 
were  to  be  dressed  alike  with  this  exception  :  Simonetta's 
raven  locks  were  to  be  trimmed  with  orange-blossoms, 
and  Lily's  with  a  sparkling  set  of  costly  diamonds,  the 
bridal  gift  of  Eugene  Saunders.  A  beautiful  necklace 
of  glowing  pearls  adorned  the  snowy  bosom  of  the  lovely 
Italian.  At  one  moment  Lily's  cheeks  were  rosy,  like 
the  clouds  when  softly  kissed  by  the  gentle  beams  of  the 
rising  sun ;  at  the  next  they  were  as  white  as  the  lovely 


308  L  I  L  Y     W  H  I  T  E. 

lilies  of  the  vale.  Now  a  sweet  smile  dimpled  her 
cheeks;  and  now  the  tears  streamed  from  her  radiant 
eyes. 

"Oh!  sister  Lily,"  said  Fanny,  "why  do  you  weejfe 
when  you  know  how  ugly  it  makes  you  look  ?  For  my 
life  I  cannot  see  why  you  cry ;  I  am  certain,  if  I  were 
in  your  place,  I  could  do  nothing  but  laugh  and  dance. 
Come,  let  me  wipe  these  tears  from  your  face,  and  then 
give  me  one  sweet  kiss  ere  you  go." 

Frank  Morton  had  arrived  from  Florence ;  he  came 
on  purpose  to  wait  upon  Eugene  Saunders.  He  was 
still  the  same  dignified,  accomplished  man.  In  looking 
into  the  clear  and  sparkling  depths  of  his  deep  blue 
eye,  you  could  see  that  genius  was  dwelling  there ;  and 
in  listening  to  his  calm,  quiet  manner  of  conversation, 
you  knew  at  once  that  that  genius  was  directed  in  the 
proper  channel. 

By  this  time  the  guests  had  assembled,  and  never  did 
a  more  brilliant  company  meet  to  honor  a  marriage 
ceremony.  Some  were  already  engaged  in  earnest  con- 
versation ;  some  were  loitering  leisurely  through  the 
long  and  brilliantly  illuminated  corridors,  while  others 
paused  in  admiration  before  some  splendid  painting 
executed  by  one  of  the  ancient  masters.  The  room 
in  which  the  marriage  was  to  take  place  was  the 
most  magnificent  in  the  palace.  At  one  extremity  was 
erected  an  altar  covered  with  white  satin  and  sprinkled 
over  with  the  freshest  flowers.  On  it  was  a  large  cross 
of  pearl,  inlaid  with  sparkling  gems,  and  the  Holy  Bible, 
opened  at  the  Book  of  Ruth. 

The  sweet  dreams  of  youth  were  about  to  be  realized ! 


LILY     WHITE.  309 

A  low  murmur,  like  the  hum  of  bees  in  the  spring-time, 
floated  from  room  to  room.  The  whisper  passed  from 
lip  to  lip — "they  come,  the  brides  come  to  the  altar." 
The  soft  rustle  of  silken  dresses  drew  the  attention  of 
the  crowd  who  were  promenading  in  the  passage  to  the 
stairway.  The  sylph-like  form  of  Lily  White,  leaning 
upon  the  arm  of  Eugene  Saunders,  glided  like  an  angel 
into  view;  next  in  order  came  Leopold  and  Simonetta, 
her  eyes  rivaling  in  beauty  and  brilliancy  the  pearls  that 
sparklad  on  her  bosom  ;  following  these  were  Frank  Mor- 
ton and  Fanny  Lanier.  An  arch  smile  dimpled  Fanny's 
rosy  cheeks,  and  happiness  beamed  from  her  sparkling 
eyes ;  so  light  and  so  ethereal  was  her  step  that  she 
seemed  to  float  in  loveliness  by  the  side  of  the  manly 
and  noble  artist.  Marcello  Silvio,  a  partner  of  Cas- 
truccio,  and  Rosetta,  brought  up  the  rear  of  this  happy 
and  interesting  group. 

From  the  confiding  manner  in  which  Rosetta  looked 
up  into  the  face  of  Marcello  Silvio,  we  would  not  be  sur- 
prised if  a  feeling  stronger  than  friendship  had  found  a 
place  in  her  young  and  tender  heart. 

It  Avas  agreed  that  Eugene  and  Lily  should  be  united 
first  in  the  holy  bonds  of  wedded  bliss.  With  a  firm  and 
manly  step  Eugene  approached  the  altar,  supporting  his 
trembling  and  blushing  bride.  A  reverend  man  of  God, 
clad  in  a  plain  suit  of  black  cloth,  stepped  behind  the 
altar,  and  in  a  few  simple  words  made  them  man  and 
wife.  He  was  an  American  minister,  and  was  on  his 
way  to  Palestine,  to  visit  those  sacred  scenes  about  which 
cluster  so  many  hallowed  associations,  and  where  our 
Saviour  bled  and  died  for  the  redemption  of  the  world. 
How  still  and  solemn  was  everything  when  that  aged 
26* 


310  LILY     WHITE. 

man,  with  his  snowy  locks  falling  about  his  shoulders, 
raised  his  voice  and  said, — 

"My  children,  you  are  now  bone  of  one  bone  and 
flesh  of  one  flesh.  Henceforth  you  are  to  live  in  the 
light  of  each  other's  love.  Remember,  that  life  is  min- 
gled with  joys  and  sorrows,  with  sunshine  and  shadows. 
With  each  other  share  those  joys,  and  each  assist  the 
other  in  bearing  those  sorrows.  My  son,"  said  the  old 
man,  "  take  this  maiden  to  thy  heart ;  nourish  her  as  a 
tender  flower  ;  let  thy  bosom  cherish  no  secret  which  thy 
lip  refuses  to  impart  to  her ;  in  afflictions  soothe  her, 
and  she  will  crown  your  life  with  happiness.  My  daugh- 
ter," continued  he,  addressing  Lily,  "have  patience 
with  thy  husband  ;  be  not  hasty  in  thy  speech.  If  thy 
husband  errs,  rebuke  him  with  a  smile  of  love,  and  do 
not  mingle  bitter  words  with  thy  tears.  Be  ever  willing 
to  say  with  Ruth — '  Entreat  me  not  to  leave  thee,  or  to 
return  from  following  after  thee ;  for  whither  thou  goest 
I  will  go,  and  where  thou  lodgest  I  will  lodge  ;  thy  peo- 
ple shall  be  my  people,  and  thy  God  my  God ;  where 
thou  diest  will  I  die,  and  there  will  I  be  buried.'  May 
heaven  pour  its  richest  blessings  upon  your  heads,  and 
when  called  hence  may  you  be  reunited  in  that  better 
land,  where  sorrows  never  come  and  where  parting  will 
be  no  more!" 

With  a  zeal  amounting  to  eloquence  the  aged  minister 
pronounced  these  words,  and  many  an  eye  that  a  moment 
before  was  bright  with  merry  glances,  was  now  dimmed 
with  a  sparkling  tear. 

Eugene  Saunders  led  his  bride  aside,  and  Leopold, 
with  Simonetta,  approached  the  bridal  altar,  and  by  a 
good  and  pious  priest  of  their  own  religion  were  made 


LILY     WHITE.  311 

one  flesh.  Simonetta  Pitti  became  Simonetta  Urceolo, 
which  was  the  real  name  of  Leopold.  The  name  Hal- 
denberg  had  been  given  him  by  Leonora. 

Again  the  hum  of  voices  arose,  merry  laughter  filled 
the  rooms,  music  rang  aloud,  warm  congratulations 
passed,  eyes  met  eyes  in  friendly  glances.  It  was  the 
hour  for  rejoicings ! 

Lily  White  was  happy !  With  her  life's  sorrows  were 
passed,  and  beyond  the  present  no  shadows  gathered. 

But  amid  that  gay  and  joyous  throng  there  was  one 
whose  heart  was  running  over  with  joy.  Uglino  the 
dwarf,  too,  was  happy  !  A  smile  of  love  lit  his  counte- 
nance. His  son  had  been  restored  to  his  loving  em- 
brace, with  his  laurels  green  about  him,  and  united  to 
one  whom  he  loved  to  own  as  a  daughter.  His  dark 
eyes  still  glowed,  not  with  the  fire  of  revenge  but  with 
happiness  and  love. 

Eugene  Saunders,  after  his  marriage,  tarried  several 
days  in  Venice.  Finally  the  hour  of  departure  arrived, 
and  with  many  kind  words  Eugene  bade  the  noble  and 
generous  Castruccio  farewell.  From  his  heart  he  thanked 
him  for  the  kindness  and  generosity  shown  to  himself  and 
Lily  during  their  stay  in  Venice.  When  Lily  and  Fanny 
bade  Rosetta  and  her  father  good-by,  no  words  were 
spoken. 

"  The  heart  feels  most  when  the  lips  move  not, 
And  the  sigh  speaks  the  gentle  farewell." 

In  an  hour  more  Eugene  and  his  beautiful  bride, 
Frank  Morton  and  Fanny  Lanier,  were  on  the  blue 
waves  of  the  rolling  Adriatic ;  and  as  Eugene  beheld  the 


312  LILY     WHITE. 

domes  and  minarets  of  the  "  Ocean  Queen"  sparkling 
in  the  morning  sun,  sink  behind  the  distant  billows, 
he  heaved  a  sigh  and  wiped  a  tear  from  his  eye  when 
the  thought  passed  through  his  mind  that  he  was  leaving 
dear  friends  who  had  stood  by  him  through  all  his  try- 
ing difficulties  and  sorrows,  and  that  perhaps  he  should 
never  see  them  again  on  earth. 

A  shadow  of  melancholy  darkened  the  beautiful  brow 
of  Lily  White.  Like  a  sister  she  loved  Rosetta,  and  no 
change,  however  stern,  and  no  suffering,  however  great, 
could  ever  efface  from  her  mind  and  heart  the  kind  and 
fatherly  treatment  she  had  received  from  Castruccio 
Castracini.  With  the  poet  could  she  say, — 


1 A  truer,  nobler,  trustier  heart, 
More  loving  or  more  loyal,  never  beat 
Within  a  human  breast." 


But  did  Eugene  forget  Uglino — his  best,  fondest, 
truest  friend  ?  He  did  not.  They  folded  each  other  to 
their  hearts.  Once  again  Uglino  wept. 

"  Uglino,  how  can  I  thank  you  for  all  that  you  have 
done  for  me  ?  I  cannot  reward  you,  for  generosity  such 
as  your' s  never  meets  with  its  due  on  earth ;  but  it  will 
be  given  in  heaven." 

"  Talk  not  of  the  past,  young  man.  When  you  were 
in  danger  I  informed  you,  when  in  sorrow  I  ministered 
unto  you,  and  for  those  deeds  God  in  his  goodness  and 
wisdom  has  given  me  back  my  darling  boy  and  has  added 
a  noble  daughter.  May  you  be  happy.  Sometimes 
think  of  old  Uglino,  and  remember  that  if  God  gave 
him  a  blighted  form  he  also  gave  him  a  feeling  heart." 


LILY     WHITE.  313 

Oh !  the  splendors  of  the  ocean  by  moonlight !  What 
pen  can  claim  the  inspiration  to  portray  it,  what  genius 
has  sufficient  power  to  present  it  as  it  exists  in  nature ! 
It  was  in  full  view  of  its  rolling  billows,  and  in  full  hear- 
ing of  its  mighty  roar,  that  the  stammering  Demosthenes 
prepared  himself  to  sway  the  Grecian  Forum ;  the  wild 
music  of  its  roar  often  thrilled  the  soul  of  Byron,  and 
grasping  his  rejected  lute  filled  the  world  with  wonder 
and  admiration. 

Long  that  night  did  Frank  Morton  and  Fanny  Lanier 
stroll  on  the  vessel's  deck,  watching  the  stars  and  talk- 
ing of  their  beauty,  and  gazing  at  the  foam-bells  that 
sparkled  in  the  moonlight.  And  they  talked  of  love ; 
and  Fanny  promised  him  that  when  his  residence  abroad 
grew  dull  she  would  brighten  and  adorn  for  him  a  lovely 
home  in  the  far-distant  West. 

We  must  now  wind  our  story  to  a  close.  Leopold 
resigned  his  station  in  the  Austrian  army,  and  went 
with  his  lovely  bride  to  Florence,  and  in  a  few  months 
the  ancient  Pitti  Palace  was  the  same  magnificent 
home  as  in  days  gone  by,  beautified  by  wealth  and 
blessed  with  love.  Leopold  and  Simonetta  lived  happily 
together,  and  in  after  years  it  was  Uglino's  greatest  de- 
light to  gather  his  little  grand-children  about  his  knees 
and  to  teach  them  useful  lessons. 

Rosetta  married  Marcello  Silvio,  and  never  did  a  man 
have  a  sweeter,  nicer,  and  livelier  little  wife.  She 
always  met  him  with  a  smile  after  the  business  of  the 
day  was  over,  and  every  morning,  as  he  left  for  his 
counting-room,  she  cheered  him  to  his  work  by  holding 
up  to  him  two  cherry  lips  for  a  loving  kiss. 

Castruccio  continued  through  life  the  same  generous, 


314  LILY     WHITE. 

noble  man.     By  his  honesty  and  perseverance  his  busi- 
ness flourished  and  his  wealth  increased. 

******** 

Four  years  have  passed  away.  From  the  pomp  and 
splendor  of  the  Old  World  we  must  now  lead  you,  gentle 
reader,  to  a  home  in  the  Western  wilds.  From  the  mag- 
nificence of  palaces  we  must  transport  you  to  a  land 
more  lovely  than  that  which 


" the  prophet  viewed 

When  on  the  sacred  "mount  he  stood, 
And  saw  below,  transcendent  shine,    . 
The  streams  and  groves  of  Palestine." 

It  was  a  bright  morning  in  spring.  The  bees  were 
humming  amid  the  blossoms,  the  birds  were  caroling 
their  sweetest  songs  in  every  grove,  the  peach-trees  were 
crowned  with  blooms  and  filled  the  air  with  fragrance. 
See  that  beautiful  cottage-home  nestling  amid  the 

" white  empurple  shower 

Of  mingled  blossoms," 

while  in  front  a  broad  lake  gleams  in  the  morning  sun 
like  a  huge  mirror ! 

That  cottage  is  the  home  of  Eugene  Saunders,  and 
that  is  Flower  Lake.  On  a  sunny  hill-side  is  seated  an 
aged  negro  engaged  in  rigging  his  nets,  while  by  his 
side  are  sporting  in  glee  a  bright  little  boy  of  three 
years,  and  a  sister  whose  golden  ringlets  have  been 
kissed  by  the  gentle  beams  of  two  summer  suns. 

These  are  the  happy  little  children  of  Eugene  Saun- 
ders and  Lily  White.  They  were  never  happier  than 
when  out  in  the  open  air  with  old  Uncle  Ben. 


LILY     WHITE.  315 

Often  and  oft  did  Eugene  and  Lily,  when  the  wintry 
winds  howled  around  their  happy  home,  and  when  the 
snow-wreaths  hung  in  glittering,  gorgeous  festoons  from 
the  leafless  trees,  talk  of  the  past,  and  live  over  again 
the  time  -spent  beneath  Italy's  soft  skies.  Often  and 
oft,  when  the  spring  came,  would  they  stroll  forth  into 
the  solitudes  of  the  grand  old  forest,  and  recall  the 
troubles  that  marred  their  past  years,  and  contrast 
those  days  with  their  present  bliss.  Many  and  many  a 
time,  when  sailing  on  the  quiet  lake  on  those  grand  au- 
tumnal evenings,  did  they  speak  of  Leopold  and  Simon- 
netta,  of  Castruccio  and  Rosetta,  nor  did  they  forget 
Uglino.  Once  every  year,  in  the  spring-time,  did  they 
visit  Fanny,  who  now,  as  Mrs.  Morton,  lived  in  Texas, 
and  occupied  the  home  in  which  their  mother  died. 

Often,  as  the  twilight  settled  over  the  broad  prairie, 
would  Lily  and  Fanny  seek  their  mother's  grave  and 
water  it  with  their  freshest  tears.  They  were  both 
happy  in  their  wedded  life.  Farewell ! 


THE  END. 


•yr 


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